ULYSSES  S. 

GRANT 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


I 


k 


TRUE  STORIES  OF  GREAT  AMERICANS 


U.  S.   GRANT 


U.  S.  GRANT 


BY 

LOVELL  COOMBS 


When   black   the   sky   and   dire   with   war, 

When   every  heart   was    wrung   with  fear. 
He   rose    serene,   and   took   his  place, 

The    great    occasion's    mighty    peer. 
He   smote   armed   opposition   down, 

And   bade   the   storm   and   darkness   cease, 
And  o'er  the   long-distracted  land 

Shone  out   the  smiling  sun   of   peace. 

In  Memory  of  General  Grant, 

—HENRY    ABBEY 


THE   WORLD   SYNDICATE    PUBLISHING   CO. 
Cleveland,  O.  New  York,  N.  Y. 


THE  UNITED  STATES  O*  AMERICA 


COPYRIGHT,  1916, 
THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY. 


Set  up  and  electiotjrped.    Published  February,  1916-    Reprinted 
August,  1925. 


PREFACE 

THE  history  of  the  United  States,  or  of  the 
world  at  large,  does  not  record  a  more  honorable, 
chivalrous,  and  courageous  soldier,  statesman,  and 
gentleman  than  U.  S.  Grant.  If  the  following 
story  of  his  life  serves  to  inspire  in  its  young 
readers  something  of  General  Grant's  high  sense 

§of   honor,    truthfulness,  modesty,  his  thoughtful- 
ness  for  others,  his  dislike  of  all  that  was  coarse, 
^    his  respect  for  older  people  —  and  not  only  as  a 

«     boy,  but  as  General  of  all  the  armies  of  the  United 

» ' 

States,  and  during  two  terms  as  President — the 
writer  will  have  achieved  the  inspiration  that  came 
tM    from  his  own  study  of  the  life  of  this  splendid 
"in    American. 

Indebtedness  is  acknowledged  to  the  excellent 
:    and  interesting  works  on  various  phases  of  Gen- 
eral Grant's  life  by  the  following  biographers : 
P         Adam  Badeailf  Henry  Coppee,  James  T.  Head- 

*  ley,  Rev.  P.  C.  Headley,  Albert  Deane  Richard- 
'     son,  Dana  and  Wilson,  Colonel  Nicholas  Smith, 

*  George  W.  Childs,  W.  H.  Van  Orden,  F.  A.  Burr, 
W.  O.  Stoddard,  Captain  Charles  Eaton,  Ringwalt, 

~£    Swift,  Hamlin  Garland,  Owen  WisteV,  John  Rus- 
sell  Young,  and  General  Grant's  own  "  Memoirs." 


461841 


TABLE   OF   CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  I 

PACK 

A  PROMISING  BOYHOOD  .       I 


CHAPTER  II 
SCHOOL  DAYS 


CHAPTER  in 
A  WEST  POINT  CADET 26 

CHAPTER  IV 
EARLY  DAYS  IN  THE  ARMY 32 

CHAPTER  V 
IN  THE  MEXICAN  WAR       ...,*.      38 

CHAPTER  VI 
EXPLOITS  IN  MEXICO 48 

Til 


viii  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER   VII 

PACK 

OUT  OF  THE  ARMY 62 

CHAPTER  VIII 
EARLY  DAYS  OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR      ....      74 

CHAPTER   IX 
SOME  EARLY  CONFLICTS 82 

CHAPTER  X 
THE  CAPTURE  OF  FORT  DONELSON    ....      94 

CHAPTER  XI 
THE  BATTLE  OF  SHILOH 105 

CHAPTER  XII 
THE  OCCUPATION  OF  CORINTH 113 

CHAPTER  XIII 

VlCKSBURG    .  .121 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS  ix 

CHAPTER  XIV 
CHATTANOOGA 136 

CHAPTER  XV 
GENERAL  OF  ALL  THE  ARMIES 144 

CHAPTER  XVI 
THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  WILDERNESS     .        .        .        .153 

CHAPTER  XVII 
SPOTTSYLVANIA 158 

CHAPTER  XVIII 
THE  FALL  OF  RICHMOND 166 

CHAPTER  XIX 
THE  SURRENDER  OF  LEE 172 

CHAPTER  XX 
THE  DEATH  OF  LINCOLN 179 


X          TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 
CHAPTER  XXI 

PACK 

PRESIDENT  GRANT 190 

CHAPTER  XXII 
EIGHT  YEARS  IN  THE  WHITE  HOUSE         .        .        .197 

CHAPTER  XXIII 
THE  TRIP  ABROAD 208 

CHAPTER  XXIV 
TURNING  TOWARD  HOME 224 

CHAPTER  XXV 
"LET  Us  HAVE  PEACE" 238 


ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

CHAPTER  I 
A  PROMISING  BOYHOOD 

IN  the  spring  of  1839  an  awkward,  stocky, 
freckle-faced  lad  of  seventeen,  by  some  nicknamed 
"Useless,"  because  of  his  "slowness,"  left  his  home 
in  a  small  backwoods  town  in  Ohio  for  the  Mili- 
tary Academy  at  West  Point.  A  few  years  passed, 
and  the  boy  "Useless,"  after  adventures  as  thrill- 
ing as  those  of  any  storybook,  returned  from  the 
Mexican  War  a  brevet  captain  of  infantry,  twice 
promoted  for  bravery  in  battle. 

A  few  years  more,  and  "Useless,"  now  the 
general  of  an  army  of  70,000  men,  saw  the  white 
flag  go  up  over  Vicksburg,  the  "Gibraltar  of  the 
South,"  after  one  of  the  greatest  sieges  of  history, 
and  received  the  surrender  of  more  than  30,000 
prisoners  of  war. 

Two  years  later  "Useless"  stood  in  Washington, 
at  the  right  hand  of  the  President,  while  for  two 


2  ULYSSES  S.   GRANT 

whole  days  a  great  army  marched  by,  and  cheered 
and  saluted  him  as  their  commander  —  the  com- 
mander who  had  led  them  to  victory  and  brought 
to  an  end  the  great  Civil  War. 

What  boy,  and  especially  what  American  boy, 
would  not  love  to  dream  of  living  such  a  life  of 
adventure  and  renown?  And  then  to  be  made 
President  of  the  United  States ;  and  later  to  travel 
in  foreign  lands  for  two  years,  to  be  lionized  every- 
where as  probably  no  other  man  has  been  lionized 
in  the  history  of  the  world ! 

Such  were  the  fortunes  of  General  U.  S.  Grant. 

Yet  Ulysses  Grant's  early  life  was  like  that  of 
thousands  of  other  American  boys.  He  was  born 
in  an  unpretentious  home,  a  small  two-room  cabin 
in  the  little  village  of  Point  Pleasant,  Ohio,  on  the 
2yth  of  April,  1822.  His  father,  Jesse  R.  Grant, 
was  a  tanner.  His  mother  had  been  Hannah 
Simpson,  of  an  old  Pennsylvania  family. 

In  the  year  following,  the  family  moved  to 
Georgetown,  Ohio.  And  here  it  was  that  the  future 
general  and  President  grew  up,  —  went  to  school, 
played,  and  worked  between  times,  as  he  afterwards 
confessed,  with  no  greater  enthusiasm  than  other 
boys. 

But  boy  life  in  the  Middle  West  in  those  days 
was  not  what  it  is  to-day.  There  was  a  great  deal 


A  PROMISING  BOYHOOD  3 

more  of  work  and  a  great  deal  less  of  play.  Besides 
the  tannery,  Ulysses'  father  owned  a  farm  and  some 
woodland ;  and  when  Ulysses  was  seven  years  old 
he  began  hauling,  with  a  team,  all  the  firewood 
used  in  the  house  and  tannery.  At  eleven  he 
began  doing  all  kinds  of  farm  work. 

"From  that  age  until  seventeen,"  he  tells  in  his 
"Memoirs,"  "I  did  all  the  work  done  with  horses, 
such  as  breaking  up  the  land,  furrowing,  plowing 
corn  and  potatoes,  bringing  in  the  crops  when 
harvested,  hauling  all  the  wood,  besides  tending 
two  or  three  horses,  a  cow  or  two,  and  sawing  wood 
for  the  stoves,  etc." 

What  would  you  boys  of  to-day  think  of  such  a 
daily  programme  ?  And  attending  school  as  well  ? 

Yet  Ulysses  found  no  fault,  and  had  a  good  time 
with  the  other  boys  when  he  could.  He  went 
fishing,  went  swimming  at  a  swimming-hole  in  a 
creek  a  mile  from  the  village;  hunted  berries, 
May  apples,  pawpaws,  and  nuts  in  the  woods ;  and 
in  the  winter  went  skating  and  coasting. 

In  appearance  Ulysses  Grant  was  a  short,  stocky 
boy,  with  brownish  hair,  a  round,  frank  face, 
freckled,  and  with  friendly  gray-blue  eyes.  In 
disposition  he  was  quiet  and  easy-going,  had  a  dis- 
like for  coarse  language  which  he  never  lost,  and 
preferred  the  company  of  the  quieter  boys  and  girls 


4  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

of  the  neighborhood.  He  would  always  avoid  a 
quarrel  or  a  fight  if  possible — this  future  hard-fight- 
ing general  —  and  did  not  care  to  hunt  and  kill 
things  in  the  woods.  He  loved  animals ;  every 
animal  on  his  father's  farm  was  a  pet. 

For  these  reasons  the  rougher  boys  of  the  village 
undoubtedly  would  have  looked  down  on  Ulysses 
Grant  as  a  "softy,"  but  for  the  fact  that  he  was  one 
of  the  most  daring  coasters  of  the  steep  village 
hills  in  the  winter,  and  was  utterly  fearless  with 
horses.  As  it  was,  he  was  one  of  the  most  popular 
boys  in  Georgetown. 

Like  most  popular  boys,  Ulysses  had  a  number  of 
nicknames.  Besides  "  Useless  "  —  which  was  given 
him  by  many  because  of  its  similarity  to  his  unusual 
name  of  Ulysses  —  he  was  known  as  'Lyssus,  'Lys, 
and  Hug. 

Needless  to  say,  he  did  not  care  for  the  latter 
name.  It  was  suggested  by  his  initials,  "H.  U.  G." 
Ulysses'  full  name  was  Hiram  Ulysses  Grant.  The 
name  by  which  he  went  into  history,  "U.  S.  Grant," 
was  the  result  of  an  accident,  as  we  shall  later  see. 

The  selection  of  the  unusual  middle  name  came 
about  in  this  way.  A  family  conference  was  held 
to  select  a  name  for  the  new  baby.  There  was  such 
a  difference  of  opinion  that  it  was  finally  decided 
to  write  the  names  suggested  on  slips  of  paper,  and 


A  PROMISING  BOYHOOD  5 

drop  the  slips  into  a  hat.  The  mother  wrote  Albert, 
an  aunt  wrote  Theodore,  Grandfather  Simpson 
wrote  Hiram,  and  Grandmother  Simpson,  who  had 
been  reading  ancient  history,  chose  the  name  of 
the  Greek  hero  Ulysses.  The  last  two  were  the 
names  drawn  from  the  hat. 

Ulysses  Grant's  "cleverness"  with  horses  was 
probably  his  most  notable  characteristic  as  a  boy. 
The  faculty  showed  itself  in  him  when  but  a  baby. 
It  is  related  that  his  greatest  delight  was  to  toddle 
around  the  feet  of  the  horses  standing  in  his  father's 
tannery  yard.  On  one  occasion,  it  is  told,  a  neigh- 
bor rushed  in  to  Mrs.  Grant  to  tell  her  that  little 
'Lyssus  was  "out  in  the  yard  swinging  about  by 
the  tails  of  Loudon's  horses." 

A  particular  feat  of  horsemanship  that  fixed 
Ulysses'  reputation  among  the  other  boys  of 
Georgetown  was  this:  A  traveling  circus  came 
to  town.  One  of  the  features  of  its  programme 
was  a  prize  of  five  dollars  offered  to  any  boy  who 
could  ride  a  certain  trick  pony.  The  pony  was  a 
fat,  round-bodied,  spirited  little  animal,  with  a 
closely  cropped  mane,  and  was  trained  to  its  work. 
Five  dollars  was  a  big  sum  to  win  at  "one  lick," 
as  the  Georgetown  boys  declared,  and  would-be 
riders  came  forward  eagerly.  They  did  not  come 
a  bit  too  fast  for  the  pony.  One  after  the  other 


6  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

he  sent  them  flying  over  his  head,  to  get  up  sheep- 
ishly with  a  handful  of  tan  bark  instead  of  the  cov- 
eted five  dollars.  Finally  there  were  no  more  can- 
didates left.  Ulysses,  who  had  been  looking  on, 
said  in  his  usual  quiet  way, 

"I  believe  I  could  ride  him." 

"Go  ahead!  Go  ahead!"  urged  the  other  boys 
quickly. 

Ulysses  hesitated,  then  stepped  into  the  ring. 

While  the  expectantly  grinning  clown  acting 
as  ringmaster  held  the  pony,  Ulysses  sprang  up 
on  its  back.  The  clown  let  go,  the  pony  dropped 
its  head  and  kicked  up  its  heels.  When  it  came 
down,  Ulysses  was  still  there.  The  pony  waggled 
its  head  and  tried  again.  With  his  knees  closely 
gripping  its  sides  and  his  arms  about  its  neck, 
Ulysses  held  his  seat.  The  pony  almost  stood 
on  its  head,  kicked  skyward,  raced  madly  round  the 
ring,  pulled  up  all  standing,  switched  this  way  and 
that,  and  again  tried  to  stand  on  its  head.  And 
still,  while  the  crowd  cheered,  Ulysses  stuck. 
Seeing  his  five  dollars  going,  the  clown  urged  the 
pony  on  with  whip  and  voice.  But  the  eleven- 
year-old  boy  was  not  to  be  unseated,  and  finally  the 
pony  stood  with  heaving  sides,  defeated.  Ulysses 
slipped  to  the  ground,  and,  to  an  accompaniment 
of  enthusiastic  applause,  received  his  five  dollars. 


A  PROMISING  BOYHOOD  7 

Another  feat  that  Ulysses  performed  with  horses 
was  of  a  more  practical  kind,  and  took  place  in  the 
quiet  of  the  woods  instead  of  before  an  admiring 
crowd.  It  showed  a  fine  spirit  of  determination 
to  finish  a  job  under  difficulties  —  the  same  spirit 
of  determination  we  shall  later  see  in  face  of  a 
much  greater  "job." 

His  father  had  taken  a  contract  to  supply  logs 
for  the  building  of  a  jail.  These  logs  were  heavy 
timbers,  a  foot  square  and  fourteen  feet  in  length. 
Several  men  were  required  to  load  them  on  the 
wagon  upon  which  Ulysses  drew  them  into  town. 

One  morning  Ulysses  went  for  his  load  as  usual. 
Reaching  the  woods,  he  found  no  one  there  to  load 
the  timbers.  He  waited,  but  the  cutters  failed  to 
appear. 

How  many  boys  would  have  thought  only  of  re- 
turning home? 

But  not  Ulysses.  He  considered  the  problem. 
Near  the  waiting  timbers  was  a  half-fallen  tree; 
one  which  the  fall  of  a  larger  tree  had  brought  partly 
down  and  left  lodged  in  a  neighboring  oak. 

Ulysses  removed  one  of  the  horses  from  the 
wagon,  hitched  it  to  an  end  of  one  of  the  trimmed 
timbers,  and  hauled  the  timber  up  the  sloping 
trunk  of  the  half-fallen  tree  until  it  leaned  there, 
partially  upright.  When  the  required  number  of 


8  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

timbers  had  thus  been  "  stood  up,"  he  returned  the 
horse  to  its  place  in  the  team,  backed  the  wagon 
under  the  leaning  timbers,  and  worked  them 
down  into  it. 

The  sequel  to  the  incident  illustrated  another 
trait  of  Ulysses'  which  stayed  with  him  through 
life  —  an  entire  lack  of  vanity.  On  reaching  home 
with  the  load,  instead  of  boastfully  relating  what 
he  had  done,  he  merely  remarked  to  his  father, 

"Father,  I  reckon  it's  hardly  worth  while  for  me 
to  go  again  to-day.  None  of  the  cutters  are  in  the 
woods.  There  is  only  one  load  left.  If  I  get  that 
now,  there  will  be  none  for  me  to  haul  to-morrow." 

"Why,  where  are  the  cutters?"  his  father  asked. 

"At  home,  I  suppose.  They  haven't  been  in 
the  woods  to-day." 

"But  — who  loaded  the  logs?"  Mr.  Grant  de- 
manded, mystified. 

"I  did,  with  the  horses,"  replied  Ulysses.  And 
then  he  explained. 

Mr.  Grant  is  said  to  have  been  very  proud  of 
this  feat  of  his  son's. 

Since  Ulysses  was  so  resourceful  and  capable,  it  is 
not  surprising  that  his  father  should  have  intrusted 
him  with  missions  that,  to-day  at  least,  would  be 
considered  beyond  the  ability  of  a  mere  boy.  In 
addition  to  his  tanning,  Jesse  Grant  did  an  occa- 


A  PROMISING  BOYHOOD  9 

sional  livery  business  between  Georgetown  and 
points  as  far  distant  as  Chillicothe,  some  seventy 
miles.  For  at  that  time  there  were  no  railroads  in 
Ohio,  and  travel  between  inland  towns  was  carried 
on  entirely  by  horse  or  wagon.  Ulysses  was  on 
several  occasions  sent  on  these  long  drives,  with 
travelers,  or  families  moving  to  or  from  George- 
town. 

In  his  "Memoirs"  General  Grant  speaks  of 
these  journeys  at  some  length,  as  well  as  of  other 
interesting  experiences  which  the  love  of  horses 
prevented  him  from  ever  forgetting. 

"While  still  quite  young,"  he  relates,  "I  had 
visited  Cincinnati,  forty-five  miles  away,  several 
times,  alone ;  also  Maysville,  Kentucky,  often,  and 
once  Louisville.  The  journey  to  Louisville  was 
a  big  one  for  a  boy  of  that  day.  I  had  also  gone 
once  with  a  two-horse  carriage  to  Chillicothe,  about 
seventy  miles,  with  a  neighbor's  family  who  were 
removing  to  Toledo,  Ohio,  and  returned  alone ;  and 
had  gone  once  in  like  manner  to  Flat  Rock,  Ken- 
tucky, about  seventy  miles  away.  On  this  latter 
occasion  I  was  fifteen  years  of  age.  While  at  Flat 
Rock  ...  I  saw  a  very  fine  saddle  horse,  and 
proposed  to  Mr.  Payne,  the  owner,  to  trade  him 
for  one  of  the  two  I  was  driving.  Payne  hesitated 
to  trade  with  a  boy,  but  asking  his  brother  about 


io  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

it,  the  latter  told  him  that  it  would  be  all  right, 
that  I  was  allowed  to  do  as  I  pleased  with  the 
horses.  I  was  seventy  miles  from  home,  with  a 
carriage  to  take  back,  and  Mr.  Payne  said  he  did 
not  know  that  his  horse  had  ever  had  a  collar  on. 
I  asked  to  have  him  hitched  to  a  farm  wagon.  .  .  . 
It  was  soon  evident  that  the  horse  had  never  worn 
harness  before ;  but  he  showed  no  viciousness,  and 
I  expressed  a  confidence  that  I  could  manage  him. 
A  trade  was  at  once  struck,  I  receiving  ten  dollars 
difference. 

"The  next  day  Mr.  Payne  of  Georgetown  and  I 
started  on  our  return.  We  got  along  very  well  for 
a  few  miles,  when  we  encountered  a  ferocious  dog 
that  frightened  the  horses  and  made  them  run. 
The  new  animal  kicked  at  every  jump  he  made. 
I  got  the  horses  stopped,  however,  before  any 
damage  was  done,  and  without  running  into  any- 
thing. After  giving  them  a  little  rest,  to  quiet  their 
fears,  we  started  again.  That  instant  the  new 
horse  kicked,  and  started  to  run  once  more.  The 
road  we  were  on  struck  the  turnpike  within  half 
a  mile  of  the  point  where  the  second  runaway  com- 
menced, and  there  was  an  embankment  twenty 
or  more  feet  deep  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  pike. 
I  got  the  horses  stopped  on  the  very  brink  of  the 
precipice.  My  new  horse  was  terribly  frightened, 


A  PROMISING  BOYHOOD  n 

and  trembled  like  an  aspen;  but  he  was  not  half 
so  badly  frightened  as  my  companion,  Mr.  Payne, 
who  deserted  me  after  this  last  experience,  and 
took  passage  on  a  freight  wagon  for  Maysville. 
Every  time  I  attempted  to  start,  my  new  horse 
would  commence  to  kick.  I  was  in  quite  a  dilemma 
for  a  time.  Once  in  Maysville,  I  could  borrow  a 
horse  from  an  uncle  who  lived  there;  but  I  was 
more  than  a  day's  travel  from  that  point.  Finally 
I  took  out  my  bandanna  handkerchief,  and  with 
this  blindfolded  my  horse.  In  this  way  I  reached 
Maysville  safely  the  next  day,  no  doubt  much  to 
the  surprise  of  my  friend.  Here  I  borrowed  a 
horse  from  my  uncle,  and  the  following  day  we 
proceeded  on  our  journey." 

Still  another  horse  story  is  frequently  told  of 
Grant  when  eight  years  old.  Living  near  George- 
town was  a  Mr.  Ralston  who  owned  a  colt  to 
which  Ulysses  had  taken  a  great  fancy.  He 
finally  persuaded  his  father  to  make  an  offer  for 
it.  Mr.  Grant  offered  twenty  dollars,  but  Mr. 
Ralston  demanded  twenty-five.  Ulysses  begged 
his  father  to  offer  the  price  asked,  and  at  last  re- 
ceived permission  to  give  the  twenty-five,  after 
first  going  to  Mr.  Ralston  and  offering  him  twenty, 
then  twenty-two-fifty. 


12  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

Ulysses  made  his  way  to  Mr.  Ralston's  house 
and  said:  "Mr.  Ralston,  Papa  says  I  may  offer 
you  twenty  dollars  for  the  colt,  but  if  you  won't 
take  it,  I  am  to  offer  you  twenty-two  and  a  half; 
and  if  you  won't  take  that,  I  am  to  give  you  twenty- 
five." 

Needless  to  say,  the  small  horse  buyer  paid  the 
twenty-five. 

Of  every  great  man's  boyhood  there  are  stories 
told  which  are  related  in  different  ways.  Occa- 
sionally there  are  stories  about  which  there  is 
some  doubt.  This  is  especially  true  in  the  case 
of  stories  predicting  future  greatness. 

A  number  of  such  stories  are  told  of  Ulysses 
Grant.  One  story  relates  that  when  a  baby  in 
his  mother's  arms,  during  a  Fourth  of  July  celebra- 
tion, a  pistol  was  fired  off  close  beside  him.  In- 
stead of  being  frightened,  the  future  soldier  laughed 
and  lisped,  "Fik  it  again !  Fik  it  again !" 

Another  story,  of  which  there  are  several  ver- 
sions, tells  of  a  phrenologist  who,  after  examining 
Ulysses'  head,  declared  he  would  one  day  be 
President  of  the  United  States.  One  version  of 
this  incident  is  as  follows : 

At  a  public  lecture  on  head-reading  a  certain 
Dr.  Buckner  in  the  audience,  who  was  somewhat 


A  PROMISING  BOYHOOD  13 

skeptical,  asked  the  lecturer  to  examine  a  head 
while  blindfolded.  The  lecturer  consented,  and 
when  a  handkerchief  had  been  secured  about  his 
eyes,  Ulysses  Grant  was  brought  forward  and 
placed  before  him.  The  phrenologist  felt  over  the 
lad's  head  for  some  time.  Finally  he  announced, 
"This  is  no  common  head.  It  is  an  extraordinary 
head." 

-"Will  he  distinguish  himself  in  mathematics?" 
Dr.  Buckner  asked. 

"Yes,"  was  the  reply;  "in  mathematics,  or 
anything  else.  In  fact,  it  would  not  be  strange  if 
we  should  one  day  see  this  boy  President  of  the 
United  States." 

Another  version  of  the  incident  is  quite  different. 
Ulysses'  father,  who  was  a  rather  talkative  man, 
firmly  believed  in  a  great  future  for  Ulysses,  and 
frequently  spoke  of  it.  To  his  neighbors,  who 
could  see  nothing  unusual  in  the  boy,  this  had 
come  to  be  a  joke.  Consequently  when,  at  the 
lecture,  volunteers  were  called  for  to  have  their 
heads  "read,"  Ulysses  was  one  of  the  first  urged 
to  the  platform. 

As  he  came  forward,  the  crowd  began  to  look 
at  one  another  and  chuckle.  At  once  the  lecturer 
grasped  the  situation.  It  was  another  case  of  the 
stupid  son  of  a  doting  father.  He  had  played  a 


14  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

part  in  the  same  kind  of  joke  a  dozen  times  before. 
And  while  the  crowd  roared  with  laughter,  he  felt 
over  Ulysses'  head  and  solemnly  announced  that 
"  this  wonderful  boy  would  some  day  be  President 
of  the  United  States." 

Whatever  the  truth  may  have  been,  it  is  quite 
possible  that  the  prediction  finally  determined 
Jesse  Grant  on  giving  Ulysses  the  best  education 
that  lay  in  his  power. 


CHAPTER  H 
SCHOOL  DAYS 

THE  schools  of  Ulysses  Grant's  boyhood  would 
be  considered  very  crude  to-day.  They  were 
private,  or  subscription,  schools,  and  were  held 
in  any  convenient  house  or  other  building.  Often 
the  teachers  were  men  of  little  training,  and  only 
the  "three  R's"  were  taught,  "Reading,  'Riting 
and  'Rithmetic."  Ulysses  Grant  never  saw  an 
algebra  until  he  went  to  West  Point.  The  whip 
or  rod  was  used  freely,  and  even  the  quiet  Ulysses 
was  "not  exempt  from  its  influence,"  as  he  later 
termed  it. 

"I  can  see  John  D.  White,  the  school-teacher, 
now,"  he  wrote,  "with  his  long  beech  switch  always 
in  his  hand.  It  was  not  always  the  same  one, 
either.  Switches  were  brought  in  bundles  from  a 
beech  wood  near  the  schoolhouse  by  the  boys  for 
whose  benefit  they  were  intended.  Often  a  whole 
bundle  would  be  used  up  in  a  single  day." 

The  whippings  aroused  no  particular  resentment 
among  the  boys,  however.  "Birching"  was  looked 
is 


16  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

upon  as  a  natural  and  necessary  part  of  teaching. 
It  was  the  system  under  which  the  teacher  himself 
had  studied  when  a  boy. 

Except  in  arithmetic,  Ulysses  was  not  a  brilliant 
scholar.  He  could  draw  well,  but  drawing  was 
not  taught.  One  noteworthy  characteristic  he  had 
in  studying.  Once  he  had  tackled  a  problem,  he 
wanted  no  help  from  any  one,  but  would  keep 
at  it  doggedly  until  he  had  mastered  it  for  himself. 

Ulysses  attended  school  in  Georgetown  until 
he  was  fourteen.  In  the  winter  of  that  year  his 
father  sent  him  to  the  Maysville  Seminary,  at 
Maysville,  Kentucky,  some  twenty  miles  from 
Georgetown.  There  Ulysses  proved  the  same 
quiet,  pleasant,  popular  lad ;  and,  according  to  one 
of  his  teachers,  ranked  well  in  all  his  classes, 
his  deportment  being  especially  good. 

An  old  record  book  tells  interestingly  of  Ulysses' 
connection  at  Maysville  with  a  literary  and  de- 
bating club,  the  Philomathean  Society.  The 
record  shows  that  he  was  enrolled  as  a  member  of 
the  society  on  January  3,  1837,  and  took  part 
in  a  debate  that  evening. 

The  subject  of  the  debate  on  that  occasion  was : 
"Resolved,  that  the  Texans  were  not  justifiable 
in  giving  Santa  Anna  his  liberty,"  and  "H.  U. 
Grant"  is  recorded  as  one  of  those  arguing  on  the 


SCHOOL  DAYS  17 

affirmative  side.  The  topic  of  the  next  meeting 
was :  "  Resolved,  that  females  yield  greater  influence 
in  society  than  males."  Again  Ulysses  was  on 
the  affirmative  side,  which  won. 

The  third  discussion  in  which  "H.  U.  Grant" 
took  part  is  of  especial  interest,  along  with  the 
fact  that  he  took  the  affirmative  side.  The  ques- 
tion was :  "Resolved,  that  it  would  not  be  just  and 
politic  to  liberate  the  slaves  at  this  time."  And 
the  affirmative  side  was  declared  to  have  presented 
the  stronger  argument. 

The  topic  of  the  succeeding  meeting  is  also  of 
peculiar  interest:  " Resolved,  that  intemperance 
is  a  greater  evil  than  war."  Again  Ulysses  spoke 
for  the  affirmative. 

At  the  thirty-seventh  meeting  "Mr.  Grant" 
moved  a  resolution:  "Resolved,  that  it  be  con- 
sidered out  of  order  for  any  member  to  speak  on 
the  opposite  side  to  which  he  is  placed."  On  the 
same  evening  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
society  committee. 

Other  debates  in  which  the  future  President 
took  part  were  these :  — 

"  Resolved,  that  Socrates  was  right  in  not  es- 
caping when  the  prison  doors  were  opened  to  him." 

"Resolved,  that  the  writer  deserves  more  praise 
than  the  orator." 


1 8  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

"Resolved,  that  Columbus  deserves  more  praise 
for  discovering  America  than  Washington  does  for 
defending  it." 

Ulysses  was  given  the  negative  side  of  this  ques- 
tion; and  also  on  the  question,  "Resolved,  that 
America  can  boast  of  as  great  men  as  any  other 
nation." 

The  date  of  this  latter  debate  was  recorded  as 
March  27,  1837.  This  is  the  last  entry  made  in 
the  record  book  of  the  young  student  from  George- 
town. Probably  Ulysses  was  called  home  to  the 
farm,  to  "debate"  on  the  affirmative  side  of  the 
spring  plowing ! 

Ulysses  seldom  worked  in  his  father's  tannery. 
In  fact,  from  a  child  he  had  disliked  the  tannery. 
He  never  became  accustomed  to  its  unpleasant 
odors.  The  possibility  of  some  day  having  to 
engage  in  this  business  had  always  been  a  bugbear 
to  him. 

One  morning  they  were  short  of  help  in  the  tan- 
nery, and  his  father  said  to  him, 

"Ulysses,  you  will  have  to  go  into  the  beam  room 
and  help  me  to-day." 

The  beam  room,  where  the  ill-smelling  hides 
were  stretched  and  scraped,  the  boy  especially 
abhorred.  Reluctantly  he  accompanied  his  father, 
and  on  the  way  to  the  building  he  remarked, 


SCHOOL  DAYS  19 

"Father,  this  tanning  is  not  the  kind  of  work  I 
like.  I'll  work  at  it,  though,  if  you  wish  me  to, 
until  I  am  twenty-one.  But  you  may  depend 
upon  it,  I'll  never  work  a  day  longer  at  it  after 
that." 

Jesse  Grant  was  a  strict  man,  but  reasonable 
and  fair. 

"My  son,"  he  replied,  "I  don't  want  you  to 
work  at  it  now  if  you  don't  like  it,  and  don't  mean 
to  stick  at  it.  I  want  you  to  work  at  whatever 
you  like  and  intend  to  follow.  Now,  what  do  you 
think  you  would  like?" 

"I'd  like  to  be  a  farmer,  or  a  river  trader,  or 
get  an  education,"  was  Ulysses'  response. 

"How  would  you  like  to  go  to  West  Point?" 
his  father  asked.  "You  know  the  education  is 
free  there,  and  the  Government  supports  the 
cadets." 

"First  rate,"  declared  Ulysses  promptly. 

The  following  winter  Ulysses  was  sent  to  school 
at  Ripley,  some  ten  miles  from  Georgetown. 
While  home  during  the  Christmas  vacation  his 
father  received  a  letter.  After  reading  it  he  said 
to  his  son,  "Ulysses,  I  believe  you  are  going  to 
receive  the  appointment." 

"What  appointment?" 

"To  West  Point.     I  have  applied  for  it." 


20  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

Strange  as  it  may  seem,  the  future  great  com- 
mander had  no  natural  inclination  whatever 
toward  soldiering,  and  had  made  up  his  mind 
that  he  did  not  want  to  go  to  the  Military 
Academy. 

"I'll  not  go,"  he  is  said  to  have  replied. 

"I  think  you  will,"  responded  his  father. 

"And  I  thought  so,  too,  if  he  did,"  relates  the 
general  in  his  "Memoirs."  The  humorous  re- 
mark hinted  at  the  strict  discipline  in  the  Grant 
family,  as  well  as  the  unquestioning  respect  Ulysses 
showed  his  parents'  wishes. 

Final  word  came  of  the  appointment  to  the  cadet- 
ship,  and  preparations  were  begun  to  send  Ulysses 
away.  When  the  news  spread  through  the  village, 
a  good  deal  of  fun  was  made  of  it.  Some  found 
fault,  and  asked  why  a  boy  had  not  been  chosen 
who  would  "be  a  credit  to  Georgetown." 

Trunks  were  not  to  be  bought  in  Georgetown 
at  that  time,  and  one  was  ordered  made  by  the 
local  "handy  man."  When  it  came,  it  was  the 
cause  of  another  "name"  incident  for  Ulysses. 
On  the  cover  the  maker  had  traced  the  young 
traveler's  initials  in  large  brass  tacks,  "H.  U.  G." 

Like  any  other  lad,  Ulysses  objected.  "The 
boys  at  the  Academy  will  call  me  'Hug'  right  from 
the  start-off,"  he  declared.  "I  won't  have  it." 


SCHOOL  DAYS  21 

And  forthwith  he  pulled  out  the  tacks  and  re- 
arranged them  to  read,  "U.  H.  G." 

It  was  in  May,  1839,  that  Ulysses  set  out  for 
West  Point,  on  what  was  then  a  long  journey  by 
stage,  river  steamer,  canal  boat  and  train.  The 
canal  trip  took  the  young  traveler  from  Pittsburgh 
to  Harrisburg ;  and  at  the  last-named  place  Ulysses 
began  his  first  ride  on  a  railroad.  "We  traveled 
at  least  eighteen  miles  an  hour  when  at  full  speed," 
he  wrote  home,  describing  the  wonderful  experi- 
ence, "and  made  the  whole  distance  averaging 
probably  as  much  as  twelve  miles  an  hour.  This 
seemed  like  annihilating  space." 

He  spent  several  days  in  Philadelphia,  and  "saw 
about  everything  in  the  city";  which  was  "kept 
so  clean,"  he  wrote,  "that  it  looks  as  though  it 
were  always  fixed  up  for  Sunday." 

He  stopped  with  relatives,  two  elderly  ladies, 
who  afterwards  described  him  as  a  "rather  awk- 
ward country  boy,  wearing  plain,  ill-fitting  clothes, 
and  coarse  shoes  which  were  as  broad  at  the  toes 
as  at  the  widest  part  of  the  soles." 

Continuing  his  journey,  Ulysses  spent  some 
time  in  New  York,  and  finally  reached  West  Point 
on  the  26th  of  May.  He  stopped  that  night  at 
Roe's  Hotel,  and  registered  as  "U.  H.  Grant." 
The  following  morning  he  reported  to  the  adju- 


22  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

tant's  office  at  the  Military  Academy.  He  signed 
himself  on  the  books  there  as  "Ulysses  Hiram 
Grant." 

This  brings  us  to  the  accident  by  which  he  be- 
came known  for  all  time  as  "U.  S.  Grant." 

The  Hon.  Thomas  Hamer,  who  had  the  ap- 
pointment of  the  cadetship,  received  the  re- 
quest for  the  nomination  from  Ulysses  Grant's 
father  only  the  day  before  the  close  of  his  term 
at  Washington.  He  wrote  hurriedly  to  the  Sec- 
retary of  War,  and,  knowing  only  that  the  boy's 
name  was  Ulysses,  made  a  guess  that  his  middle 
name  would  be  the  maiden  name  of  his  mother, 
Simpson.  Therefore  he  wrote  "Ulysses  Simpson 
Grant." 

This  was  the  name  Ulysses  found  on  the  papers 
forwarded  from  Washington  to  West  Point.  He 
asked  to  have  the  name  corrected,  but  the  adjutant 
declared  a  change  could  not  be  made  without  the 
consent  of  the  Secretary  of  War. 

"Very  well,"  said  Ulysses.  "An  initial  or  more 
does  not  matter." 

And  thus  it  was  that  the  initials  of  the  future 
great  general  and  president  became  those  of  his 
country,  "U.  S."  Grant. 

When  he  had  filled  in  the  necessary  papers  at  the 
Academy  office,  Ulysses  was  sent  to  the  old  South 


SCHOOL  DAYS  23 

Barracks,  to  report  to  the  cadet  officers.  On  the 
way  he  received  his  first  lesson  in  what  a  freshman, 
or  "plebe,"  was  to  expect  at  the  Academy.  He 
was  greeted  with  derisive  yells,  such  as  "What  an 
animal!"  "Who  is  your  tailor?"  "Does  your 
mother  know  you're  out?" 

At  headquarters  the  cadet  corporals  took  charge 
of  him.  He  was  told  that  the  first  duty  of  a  soldier 
was  to  stand  erect.  He  was  ordered  to  "throw 
out  his  chest,"  and  "fix  his  eyes  on  a  tack  in  the 
wall."  Then  various  questions  were  asked  in  a 
seemingly  polite  manner, 

"Mr.  Grant,  what  have  you  brought  from 
home?" 

Naturally  he  turned  toward  the  speaker.  In  a 
yell  he  was  ordered  to  "Keep  your  eyes  to  the 
front,  sir!" 

He  was  told  that  the  second  duty  of  a  cadet  was 
to  keep  his  eyes  to  the  front  if  the  heavens  fell. 
He  was  made  to  "fin  out"  —  to  place  his  little 
fingers  to  the  seams  of  his  trousers,  and  turn  his 
palms  to  the  front.  After  a  further  mixture  of 
hazing  and  instruction  he  was  sent  to  the  quarter- 
master for  his  outfit. 

This  consisted  of  two  blankets,  a  pillow,  a  water- 
pail,  a  broom,  a  chair,  etc.  All  these  articles  he 
was  compelled  to  carry,  on  the  handle  of  the 


24  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

broom,  past  the  officers'  quarters,  then  past  the 
cadets,  who  looked  on  and  shouted  various 
comments. 

West  Point  of  those  days  was  a  primitive  es- 
tablishment compared  to  the  West  Point  of  to-day. 
For  two  weeks,  with  other  newcomers,  Cadet 
Grant  slept  on  the  floor,  on  two  thin  blankets,  in 
an  upper  room  of  the  old  North  Barracks.  Rufus 
Ingalls  was  his  roommate. 

It  was  a  disappointing  introduction  to  the  in- 
teresting life  Ulysses  had  anticipated.  Most  of 
the  boys,  like  himself,  had  come  long  distances, 
were  away  from  home  for  the  first  time,  and  so  at 
times  were  much  depressed  and  homesick.  The 
drill  and  the  setting-up  exercises  were  severe,  and 
the  upper-classmen  indulged  in  continuous  hazing, 
or  "plebe  jumping." 

The  homemade  clothing  of  many  of  the  new 
cadets  was  one  object  of  much  joking.  For  uni- 
forms were  not  given  out  until  the  preliminary 
examinations  were  passed. 

Somewhat  to  Ulysses'  surprise,  he  passed  these 
preliminary  tests  without  trouble.  At  once  he 
was  given  his  uniform,  and  recognized  as  a  full- 
fledged  West  Pointer. 

When  the  list  of  new  cadets  was  posted  in  the 
hall  of  the  barracks,  a  group  of  senior  cadets 


SCHOOL  DAYS  25 

gathered  to  read  them.  The  name  U.  S.  Grant 
attracted  attention  immediately. 

"United  States  Grant,"  read  one. 

"Uncle  Sam  Grant,"  read  another. 

The  last  name  stuck.  And  so,  during  his  years 
at  the  Academy,  and  later  as  a  young  officer  in 
the  army,  Ulysses  was  known  as  "Sam  Grant." 


CHAPTER  III 
A  WEST  POINT  CADET 

THERE  is  not  a  great  deal  on  record  concerning 
Ulysses  Grant's  life  at  West  Point.  His  experiences 
were  probably  the  same  as  those  of  other  young 
cadets,  and  his  first  day  was  a  fair  example  of  his 
first  year.  The  drill  was  hard,  discipline  was 
strict,  between  times  there  was  study;  and  the 
senior  cadets  lost  no  opportunity  of  impressing  on 
the  seventeen-year-old  "plebe"that  he  was  of  little 
consequence. 

The  day  began  with  "Reveille"  at  5  A.M.  in 
the  summer,  and  an  hour  later  in  winter.  -  Roll 
call  followed,  after  that  the  cleaning  of  arms  and 
accouterments,  and  inspection  of  rooms  thirty 
minutes  after  roll  call.  Then  came  a  study-hour 
of  lessons  to  be  recited  during  the  morning. 

At  7  o'clock  the  breakfast  bugle  was  blown,  and 
the  cadets  marched  to  the  dining  hall.  "Troop" 
and  guard  mounting  followed  at  7.30,  and  morn- 
ing parade  at  8  when  in  summer  camp.  Recita- 
tion and  study  filled  the  remainder  of  the  morning 
26 


A  WEST  POINT  CADET  27 

until  dinner  call,  at  i  o'clock.  A  half  hour's 
recreation  followed  dinner,  then  study  or  drawing 
till  4,  military  exercises  for  an  hour  or  more,  and 
again  a  short  "recess."  Evening  parade  was  held 
at  sunset,  then  came  the  call  for  supper.  A  half 
hour  later  "Quarters"  was  sounded,  which  meant 
study  till  9.30.  Taps,  or  lights  out,  was  blown 
at  10. 

So  it  will  be  seen  that  life  at  West  Point  in  1839 
was  no  "snap." 

In  addition  to  their  other  work,  the  cadets  had 
to  make  their  own  beds,  carry  water  for  their 
rooms,  and  scrub  the  floors.  Floor  scrubbing 
was  the  regular  order  for  each  Saturday. 

The  food  at  that  time  was  far  from  the  best. 
A  fellow  cadet  of  Grant's,  General  Franklin,  de- 
scribed it  thus:  — 

"Breakfast  was  quite  generally  hashed  beef, 
with  coffee.  Dinner,  roast  beef  or  boiled  beef, 
with  sometimes  fish  or  mutton.  Mutton  was  not 
a  popular  dish.  We  used  to  '  baa '  like  a  sheep  when 
we  came  into  the  dining  room.  I  think  we  had  a 
table  cover,  but  I  am  not  certain.  Of  this  I  am 
certain :  our  forks  were  of  the  two-tined,  bone- 
handled  variety,  and  from  long  washing  in  hot, 
greasy  water  they  had  decomposed,  and  they  gave 
a  horrible ; smell,  which; no  old  cadet  can  forget  as 


28  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 


as  he  lives.  It  was  horrible.  'Tea'  was 
largely  tea  and  very  little  besides,  and  the  boys 
used  to  provide  for  it  by  sticking  a  fork  into  a 
big  hunk  of  beef  from  the  dinner  and  jabbing  it 
fast  under  the  table.  This,  when  unperceived  by 
the  'Tack'  [tactical  officer],  helped  out  the  starva- 
tion form  of  'Tea.'" 

The  limited  fare  led  to  frequent  "foraging  on 
the  enemy,"  as  it  was  called.  Potatoes,  meat, 
bread,  salt,  etc.,  would  be  smuggled  from  the  table 
at  noon,  and  enjoyed  as  a  midnight  "spread." 

The  manner  of  preparing  the  feast  would  have 
caused  the  mothers  of  the  cadets  to  raise  their 
hands  in  horror. 

"This  stuff  we  put  into  a  pillowcase,  and  at 
night  we  beat  it  up  with  a  bayonet,  and  cooked  it 
over  the  grate,  which  was  of  anthracite  coal  and 
quite  handy.  Our  dishes  were  slices  of  bread  or 
toast.  These  were  'cadet  hashes,'  and  were  an 
institution  in  our  day.  No  man,  no  cadet  officer, 
in  fact,  was  ever  known  to  refuse  an  invitation  to 
a  cadet  hash.  I  don't  particularly  recall  Grant 
in  this  connection,  but  as  he  was  a  farmer  boy, 
and  a  growing  boy,  I've  no  doubt  he  accepted 
every  possible  chance  to  eat  cadet  hash." 

That  Grant  was  ready  for  extra  "eats"  is  borne 
out  by  another  story.  One  night  a  chicken  was 


A  WEST  POINT  CADET  29 

being  roasted  in  Grant's  room,  when  an  officer 
was  heard  at  the  door.  Grant  hid  the  chicken 
and  saucepan,  and  stood  at  attention  before  the 
fire,  with  face  quite  impassive.  The  officer  en- 
tered. Grant  saluted.  The  officer  walked  round 
the  room,  looking  very  hard  at  the  ceiling  and 
walls,  where  nothing  could  be  seen. 

"Mr.  Grant,  I  think  there  is  a  peculiar  smell 
in  your  room,"  he  remarked. 

"I've  noticed  it,  sir,"  replied  Grant. 

"Be  careful  that  something  does  not  catch  fire." 

"Thank  you,  sir,"  said  Grant,  saluting. 

Notwithstanding  the  hardships  of  the  life, 
Ulysses  did  not  permit  himself  to  become  dis- 
gruntled. This  is  proved  by  a  letter  written  to 
a  cousin,  McKinstry  Griffith,  when  he  had  been 
at  the  Academy  some  six  months.  It  is  a  natural, 
boyish  letter,  and  for  the  most  part  very  well 
written,  showing  the  result  of  reading  worth-while 
books.  It  also  shows  a  love  of  fun  and  humor, 
and  a  thoughtfulness  for  old  people  that  is  always 
a  good  sign  in  a  boy. 

It  was  dated  September  22,  1839  :  ~ 

DEAR  Coz :  I  was  just  thinking  that  you  would  be  right 
glad  to  hear  from  one  of  your  relations  who  is  so  far  away  as 
I  am.  So  I  have  put  away  my  algebra  and  French,  and  am 
going  to  tell  you  a  long  story  about  this  prettiest  of  places, 


30  ULYSSES  S.   GRANT 

West  Point.  So  far  as  it  regards  natural  attractions  it  is 
decidedly  the  most  beautiful  place  that  I  have  ever  seen. 
Here  are  hills  and  dales,  rocks  and  rivers ;  all  pleasant  to 
look  upon  .  .  .  but  I  am  not  one  to  show  false  colors,  or 
the  brightest  side  of  the  picture,  so  I  will  tell  you  about  some 
of  the  drawbacks.  First,  I  slept  for  two  months  upon  one 
single  pair  of  blankets.  Now  this  sounds  romantic,  and  you 
may  think  it  very  easy,  but  I  tell  you  what,  Coz,  it  is  tre- 
mendous hard.  .  .  . 

We  are  now  in  our  quarters.  I  have  a  splendid  bed 
[mattress],  and  get  along  very  well.  Our  pay  is  nominally 
about  twenty-eight  dollars  a  month,  but  we  never  see  a  cent 
of  it.  If  we  wish  anything,  from  a  shoe  string  to  a  coat,  we 
must  go  to  the  commandant  of  the  post  and  get  an  order  for 
it,  or  we  cannot  have  it.  We  have  tremendously  long  and 
hard  lessons  to  get,  in  both  French  and  algebra.  I  study 
hard,  and  hope  to  get  along  so  as  to  pass  the  examination  in 
January.  The  examination  is  a  hard  one,  they  say;  but 
I  am  not  frightened  yet.  If  I  am  successful  here  you  will 
not  see  me  for  two  long  years.  It  seems  a  long  while  to  me, 
but  time  passes  off  very  fast.  It  seems  but  a  few  days  since 
I  came  here.  It  is  because  every  hour  has  its  duty,  which 
must  be  performed .  On  the  whole  I  like  the  place  very  much ; 
so  much  that  I  would  not  go  away  on  any  account.  The  fact 
is,  if  a  man  graduates  here,  he  is  safe  for  life,  let  him  go  where 
he  will.  There  is  much  to  dislike,  but  more  to  like.  I 
mean  to  study  hard  and  stay  if  it  be  possible ;  if  I  cannot, 
very  well,  the  world  is  wide.  I  have  now  been  here  about 
four  months,  and  have  not  seen  a  single  familiar  face  or 
spoken  to  a  single  lady.  I  wish  some  of  the  pretty  girls  of 
Bethel  were  here,  just  so  I  might  look  at  them.  But  fudge  ! 
confound  the  pretty  girls.  I  have  seen  great  men,  plenty 


A  WEST  POINT  CADET  31 

of  them.  Let  me  see :  General  Scott,  Mr.  Van  Buren, 
Secretary  of  War  and  Navy,  Washington  Irving,  and  lots 
of  other  big  bugs.  If  I  were  to  come  home  with  my  uniform 
on,  the  way  you  would  laugh  at  my  appearance  would  be 
curious.  My  pants  set  so  tight  to  my  skin  as  the  bark  to  a 
tree,  and  if  I  do  not  walk  military  —  that  is,  if  I  bend  over 
quickly  or  run  —  they  are  very  apt  to  crack,  with  a  report 
as  loud  as  a  pistol.  My  coat  must  always  be  buttoned  up 
tight  to  the  chin.  It  is  made  of  sheep's  gray  cloth,  all  cov- 
ered with  big  round  buttons.  It  makes  one  look  very  singu- 
lar. If  you  were  to  see  me  at  a  distance,  the  first  question 
you  would  ask  would  be,  "Is  that  a  fish  or  an  animal?" 
You  must  give  my  very  best  love  and  respect  to  all  my 
friends,  particularly  your  brothers,  Uncles  Ross,  and  Samuel 
Simpson.  You  must  also  write  me  a  long  letter  in  reply  to 
this,  and  tell  me  about  everything  and  everybody,  including 
yourself.  \  .  . 

I  am  truly  your  cousin  and  obedient  servant, 

U.  H.  GRANT. 
McKiNSTRY  GRIFFITH. 

N.  B.  In  coming  I  stopped  five  days  in  Philadelphia 
with  our  friends.  They  are  all  well.  Tell  Grandmother 
Simpson  that  they  always  have  expected  to  see  her  before, 
but  have  almost  given  up  the  idea  now.  They  hope  to  hear 
from  her  often.  .  .  . 

When  I  come  home  in  two  years,  the  way  I  shall  astonish 
you  natives  will  be  curious.  I  hope  you  will  not  take  me 
for  a  baboon. 

My  best  respects  to  Grandmother  Simpson.  I  think  often 
of  her.  I  put  this  on  the  margin  so  that  you  will  remember 
it  better.  I  want  you  to  show  her  this  letter  and  all  others 
that  I  may  write  to  you.  .  .  . 


CHAPTER  IV 
EARLY  DAYS  IN  THE  ARMY 

WHEN  two  years  had  passed  at  the  Military 
Academy,  Cadet  Grant  was  given  his  first  furlough. 
In  the  interval  his  parents  had  moved  from  George- 
town to  Bethel,  Ohio,  a  smaller  place  nearer  Cin- 
cinnati. Here  he  returned  to  them,  several  inches 
taller,  straighter,  and  in  a  neat  "undress"  uniform, 
a  blue  sack  coat  and  white  duck  trousers.  Needless 
to  say,  he  was  quite  a  hero  to  his  younger  brothers 
and  sisters,  and  to  the  other  boys  and  girls  of  Bethel 
and  Georgetown.  And  like  any  other  boy,  Ulysses 
enjoyed  it.  His  father  had  bought  him  a  fine 
young  colt  to  use  during  his  vacation,  and  he  fre- 
quently rode  over  to  Georgetown  to  visit  his 
friends  there.  Especially,  it  is  said,  he  went  to 
visit  a  certain  young  lady  who  doubtless  was  proud 
to  receive  a  call  from  the  handsome  young  cadet 
on  his  dashing  charger. 

The  vacation  passed  so  happily  and  quickly  that 
when  the  end  of  the  summer  came  Ulysses  returned 
to  West  Point  reluctantly.  An  addition  to  the 
32 


EARLY  DAYS  IN  THE  ARMY      33 

drill  course  which  was  made  at  that  time  soon  put 
him  in  good  spirits,  however.  This  was  the  cavalry 
drill.  His  love  for  horses  at  once  interested  him 
in  the  new  exercises,  and  he  quickly  distinguished 
himself  as  a  rider. 

Without  any  unusual  incident  the  year  passed, 
and  the  next  year;  and  the  spring  of  1843  saw 
Cadet  Grant,  now  twenty-one  years  old,  at  the  end 
of  his  four  years  of  training.  He  passed  his  final 
examinations  the  twenty-first  in  a  class  of  thirty- 
nine,  with  a  good  record  in  mathematics  and 
engineering,  a  fair  record  in  other  subjects,  and  an 
unusual  record  as  a  horseman. 

The  final  test  in  horsemanship  was  a  jumping 
contest,  in  which  a  hundred  cadets  took  part. 
One  by  one  they  dropped  out  as  the  bar  was 
raised,  until  finally  only  Cadet  Grant  was  left. 
His  last  jump  was  at  a  height  of  five  feet,  six  and  a 
half  inches.  This  mark  still  stands  at  the  Academy. 

General  James  B.  Frye,  also  of  the  Civil  War, 
tells  of  another  jumping  incident  of  which  Cadet 
Grant  was  the  leading  figure. 

"One  afternoon  in  June,  1843,"  ne  relates, 
"  while  I  was  at  West  Point,  a  candidate  for  ad- 
mission to  the  Military  Academy,  I  wandered  into 
the  riding  hall,  where  the  members  of  the  graduat- 
ing class  were  going  through  their  final  mounted 


34  ULYSSES  S.   GRANT 

exercises  before  Major  Richard  Delafield,  the  Super- 
intendent, the  Academic  Board,  and  a  large  assem- 
blage of  spectators. 

"When  the  regular  services  were  completed, 
the  class,  still  mounted,  was  formed  in  line  through 
the  center  of  the  hall.  The  riding  master  placed 
the  leaping  bar  higher  than  a  man's  head,  and  called 
out, 'Cadet  Grant!' 

"A  clean-faced,  slender  young  fellow,  weighing 
about  one  hundred  and  twenty  pounds,  dashed 
from  the  ranks  on  a  powerfully-built  chestnut- 
sorrel  horse,  and  galloped  down  the  opposite  side 
of  the  hall.  As  he  turned  at  the  farther  end  and 
came  into  the  straight  stretch  across  which  the 
bar  was  placed,  the  horse  increased  his  pace  and 
measured  his  stride  for  the  great  leap  before  him, 
bounded  into  the  air,  and  cleared  the  bar,  carrying 
his  rider  as  if  man  and  beast  were  welded  together. 
The  spectators  were  breathless. 

"'Very  well  done,  sir,'  growled  old  Herschberger, 
the  riding  master  (who  seldom  permitted  himself 
to  be  complimentary),  and  the  class  was  dismissed." 

When  the  feat  was  spoken  of  to  Cadet  Grant, 
as  frequently  happened,  he  always  modestly  gave 
the  credit  to  the  horse,  saying,  "Yes,  York  was  a 
wonderfully  good  horse." 

On  leaving  West  Point,  cadets  are  allowed  to 


EARLY  DAYS  IN  THE  ARMY  35 

choose  the  branch  of  military  service  they  prefer. 
Naturally,  Ulysses  Grant  chose  the  cavalry. 
Unfortunately,  however,  the  cavalry  force  at  the 
time  was  very  small,  and  was  already  over-officered. 
Consequently,  the  would-be  cavalryman  was  com- 
pelled to  become  an  infantryman,  and  was  made 
a  brevet  second  lieutenant  in  the  Fourth  Infantry. 

After  a  short  vacation  at  home,  he  was  ordered 
to  report  for  duty  at  Jefferson  Barracks,  St.  Louis. 
In  1843  St.  Louis  was  a  "far  western"  town  and 
an  important  military  post.  The  barracks,  situated 
on  a  height  overlooking  the  Mississippi  River, 
were  large  whitewashed  stone  buildings,  arranged  in 
a  square.  They  accommodated  a  large  garrison  of 
sixteen  infantry  companies. 

As  elsewhere,  Brevet  Lieutenant  Grant,  still 
quiet,  unassuming,  and  agreeable,  became  a  favorite 
at  once,  and  soon  settled  down  to  a  quiet  enjoy- 
ment of  the  life  there.  The  routine  was  not  severe, 
and  the  young  officer  found  considerable  time  on 
his  hands. 

This  fact  presently  developed  an  interesting 
romance.  One  of  Ulysses  Grant's  roommates  at 
West  Point  had  been  a  young  Southerner,  Frederick 
Dent.  The  Dent  family  lived  on  a  fine  plantation 
not  far  from  St.  Louis.  Not  unnaturally,  because 
of  his  acquaintance  with  the  son,  Ulysses  found 


36  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

his  way  there.  And  very  shortly  he  was  finding 
his  way  there  for  another  reason  —  Miss  Julia 
Dent. 

Though  generally  pleasant,  life  at  the  barracks 
#as  not  all  roses.  The  Fourth  Infantry  at  the 
time  had  an  officers'  dining  club,  or  "officers' 
mess,"  of  which  Captain  Robert  Buchanan  was 
president.  Captain  Buchanan  was  a  martinet, 
and  particularly  severe  upon  young  officers.  It 
was  one  of  the  rules  of  the  mess  that  any  one  coming 
in  after  soup  had  been  served  should  be  fined  a 
bottle  of  wine.  After  Lieutenant  Grant  began 
paying  serious  attentions  to  Miss  Dent,  he  would 
frequently  get  excused  from  the  afternoon  parade, 
ride  out  to  the  Dent  plantation,  and  make  a  call. 
As  a  result  he  was  frequently  late  for  dinner. 
Three  times  in  ten  days  he  appeared  "after  soup" 
and  was  fined.  The  fourth  time  he  arrived  late, 
Captain  Buchanan  said,  — 

"Grant,  you  are  late,  as  usual;  another  bottle 
of  wine,  sir." 

Grant  rose  quietly  and  replied, 

"Mr.  President,  I  have  been  fined  three  bottles 
of  wine  within  the  last  ten  days,  and  if  I  am  fined 
again  I  shall  be  obliged  to  repudiate." 

The  officer  at  the  head  of  the  table  retorted 
with  a  show  of  ill  temper, 


EARLY  DAYS  IN  THE  ARMY      37 

"Mr.  Grant,  young  people  should  be  seen  and 
not  heard,  sir!" 

The  incident  was  trivial,  but  later  it  had  serious 
consequences  for  the  younger  officer.  It  planted 
in  Captain  Buchanan's  mind  the  seeds  of  a  dislike 
which  a  few  years  later  played  a  part  by  affecting 
the  whole  subsequent  course  of  Grant's  life. 


461841 


CHAPTER  V 
IN  THE  MEXICAN  WAR 

GRAVER  matters  than  the  unfriendliness  of  a 
superior  officer,  or  even  a  romance,  presently 
loomed  up,  however.  The  war  with  Mexico  was 
brewing.  Texas,  formerly  a  part  of  Mexico,  had 
seceded  and  set  up  a  government  of  its  own.  The 
Southern  states  wanted  Texas  admitted  to  the 
Union,  and  under  President  Folk's  administration 
she  was  so  admitted.  But  Mexico  never  had  recog- 
nized the  independence  of  Texas.  Hence  a  war 
between  the  United  States  and  Mexico  resulted. 

With  other  American  forces,  the  Fourth  Infantry 
was  ordered  from  St.  Louis  to  Fort  Jessup,  in  Louisi- 
ana ;  and  a  year  later  it  was  sent,  with  the  army 
under  General  Zachary  Taylor,  to  the  Rio  Grande. 

The  first  part  of  the  campaign  that  followed  is 
interestingly  described  in  a  letter  written  by 
Lieutenant  Grant  from  Matamoros,  Mexico,  June 
26,  1846. 

From  Corpus  Christi  to  Matamoros,  both  near 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  the  little  army  of  three  thousand 
38 


IN  THE  MEXICAN  WAR  39 

men  had  to  march  south  "through  a  long,  sandy 
desert  covered  with  salt  ponds,"  he  wrote,  "and  in 
one  or  two  instances  ponds  of  drinkable  water 
were  separated  by  a  whole  day's  march.  The 
troops  suffered  much,  but  stood  it  like  men.  .  .  . 

"  About  the  last  of  April  we  got  word  of  the  enemy 
crossing  the  river,  no  doubt  with  the  intention  of 
cutting  us  off  from  our  supplies  at  Point  Isabel. 
On  the  ist  of  April  at  3  o'clock  General  Taylor 
started  with  about  2000  men  to  go  after  and  escort 
the  wagon  train  from  Point  Isabel,  and  with  the 
determination  to  cut  his  way,  no  matter  how  su- 
perior their  numbers. 

"Our  march  on  this  occasion  was  as  severe  as 
could  be  made.  Until  3  o'clock  that  night  we 
scarcely  halted ;  then  we  lay  down  in  the  grass  and 
took  a  little  sleep,  and  marched  the  balance  of 
the  way  the  next  morning.  Our  march  was  mostly 
through  grass  up  to  the  waist,  with  a  wet  and  un- 
even bottom,  yet  we  made  thirty  miles  hi  much 
less  than  a  day.  .  .  .  The  next  morning  after  our 
arrival  at  Point  Isabel  we  heard  the  enemy's 
artillery  playing  upon  the  little  field  work  which 
we  had  left  garrisoned  by  the  Seventh  Infantry  and 
two  companies  of  artillery.  This  bombardment 
was  kept  up  for  seven  days,  with  a  loss  of  but  one 
killed  and  four  or  five  wounded  on  our  side.  The 


40  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

loss  of  the  enemy  was  much  greater,  though  not 
serious." 

On  the  yth  of  May  General  Taylor  left  Point 
Isabel  with  a  provision  and  ammunition  train  of 
two  hundred  and  fifty  wagons.  The  next  day, 
within  fourteen  miles  of  Matamoros,  they  found 
the  enemy  drawn  up  for  battle  at  the  edge  of  a 
piece  of  woods  known  as  Palo  Alto,  or  "  tall  trees," 
near  what  is  now  the  Texas  border  town  of  Browns- 
ville. 

The  opening  shots  of  the  battle  that  followed  — 
the  future  great  general's  first  fight  —  were  fired 
about  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  the  firing 
continued  until  after  sunset. 

"During  the  day's  fight,"  the  young  lieutenant 
wrote  to  his  parents  at  home,  describing  his  sen- 
sations, "I  scarcely  thought  of  being  touched  my- 
self (although  g-pound  shots  were  whistling  all 
round),  until  near  the  close  of  the  evening  a  shot 
struck  the  ranks  a  little  ways  in  front  of  me.  .  .  . 

"The  next  morning  we  found  to  our  surprise 
that  the  last  rear  guard  of  the  enemy  was  just 
leaving  their  ground,  the  main  body  having  left 
during  the  night.  From  Palo  Alto  to  Matamoros 
[near  the  northern  border  of  Mexico]  there  is  for  a 
great  part  of  the  way  a  dense  forest  of  undergrowth, 
here  called  chaparral.  The  Mexicans,  after  having 


IN  THE  MEXICAN  WAR  41 

marched  a  few  miles  through  this,  were  reenforced 
by  a  considerable  body  of  troops.  They  chose  a 
place  on  the  opposite  side  from  us  of  a  long  but 
narrow  pond  (called  Resaca  de  la  Palma),  which 
gave  them  greatly  the  advantage  of  position.  Here 
they  made  a  stand.  The  fight  was  a  pellrnell 
affair;  everybody  for  himself.  The  chaparral  is 
so  dense  that  you  may  be  within  five  feet  of  a  per- 
son and  not  know  it.  Our  troops  rushed  forward 
with  shouts  of  victory,  and  would  kill  and  drive 
away  the  Mexicans  from  every  piece  of  artillery 
they  could  get  their  eyes  on.  The  Mexicans  stood 
this  hot  work  for  over  two  hours,  but  with  a  great 
loss.  When  they  did  retreat  there  was  such  a 
panic  among  them  that  they  only  thought  of 
safety  in  flight.  They  made  the  best  of  their  way 
for  the  river,  and  wherever  they  struck  it  they 
would  rush  in.  Many  of  them  no  doubt  were 
drowned. 

"Our  losses  in  the  two  days  were  182  killed  and 
wounded.  What  the  loss  of  the  enemy  was 
cannot  be  ascertained,  but  I  know  acres  of  ground 
were  strewn  with  the  bodies  of  the  dead  and 
wounded.  I  think  it  would  not  be  an  overesti- 
mate to  say  that  their  loss  from  killed,  wounded, 
prisoners,  and  missing  was  over  2000.  .  .  . 

"When  we  got  into  the  camp  of  the  enemy, 


42  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

everything  showed  the  great  confidence  they  had 
of  success.  They  were  actually  cooking  their 
meal  during  the  fight,  and  as  we  have  since  learned, 
the  women  of  Matamoros  were  making  preparations 
for  a  great  festival  upon  the  return  of  their  victori- 
ous army.  ..." 

In  August  the  expedition  under  General  Taylor 
left  Matamoros,  following  the  Mexican  bank  of 
the  Rio  Grande  toward  Camargo,  on  the  way  to 
Monterey.  The  heat  was  so  intense  that  the 
traveling  was  done  during  the  night.  Camargo 
was  reached  without  incident.  And  here  Lieu- 
tenant Grant  was  given  new  duties.  He  was 
made  regimental  quartermaster  —  the  officer  re- 
sponsible for  the  food,  ammunition,  and  all  other 
supplies  of  a  regiment.  It  was  a  trying  position 
for  so  young  an  officer,  and  showed  the  high  opinion 
in  which  he  was  held  by  his  seniors. 

The  new  duties  Grant  himself  thus  described: 
"Each  day  after  the  troop  had  started,  the  tents 
and  cooking  utensils  had  to  be  made  into  packages 
so  they  could  be  lashed  to  the  backs  of  mules. 
Sheet-iron  kettles  and  mess  chests  were  inconven- 
ient articles  to  transport  in  that  way.  It  took 
several  hours  to  get  ready  to  start  each  morning, 
and  by  the  time  we  were  ready,  some  of  the  mules 
first  loaded  would  be  tired  of  standing  so  long 


IN  THE  MEXICAN  WAR  43 

with  their  loads  on  their  backs.  Sometimes  one 
would  start  to  run,  bowing  his  back  and  kicking 
up  until  he  had  scattered  his  load ;  others  would 
lie  down  and  try  to  disarrange  their  loads  by 
rolling  on  them." 

As  can  easily  be  understood,  such  experiences 
would  be  very  trying  to  the  temper.  But  never 
once  did  Lieutenant  Grant  lose  his  head.  Un- 
doubtedly it  was  this  evenness  of  disposition  that 
had  brought  him  such  an  important  position.  He 
"made  good." 

This  is  the  more  remarkable  since  the  young 
quartermaster  disliked  his  task.  Regarding  it  he 
wrote  to  his  parents:  "I  do  not  mean  that  you 
shall  ever  hear  of  my  shirking  my  duty  in  battle. 
My  new  post  of  quartermaster  is  considered  to 
afford  an  officer  an  opportunity  to  be  relieved  from 
fighting,  but  I  do  not  and  cannot  see  it  in  that 
light.  You  have  always  taught  me  that  the  post 
of  danger  is  the  post  of  duty." 

Leaving  the  Rio  Grande  at  Camargo,  the  little 
army  struck  for  the  uplands,  across  sandy  plains 
shimmering  with  heat.  The  men  struggled  bravely 
on,  and  at  length  gamed  the  higher  country,  where 
the  air  was  cooler,  and  finally  arrived  before  the 
city  of  Monterey,  which  was  about  a  hundred 
miles  from  Camargo. 


44  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

Monterey  was  then  a  place  of  one-story  adobe 
houses,  and  had  a  population  of  fifteen  or  twenty 
thousand.  The  people  were  a  mixture  of  Indians 
and  Spanish,  and  wore  high  conical  hats  and  bright 
colored  blankets,  or  scrapes.  The  city  was  magnifi- 
cently located,  with  towering  mountains  on  every 
side  except  to  the  northeast.  General  Taylor 
advanced  from  the  east,  and  camped  at  a  watering 
place  in  a  grove  of  pecan  and  walnut  trees  three 
miles  from  the  town. 

A  level  plain  that  lay  between  offered  an  easy 
approach  for  the  American  army,  but  overlooking 
the  plain  was  a  very  strong  fortress,  encircled  by  a 
deep  ditch.  West  of  this  fortress,  called  the  Black 
Fort,  because  it  was  built  of  a  black  stone,  was 
another  strongly-built  fortification  known  as  the 
Bishop's  Palace.  On  higher  ground  beyond  the 
Palace  were  posted  a  large  number  of  field  guns. 

To  defend  this  strong  position  the  Mexican 
general  had  more  than  ten  thousand  men.  General 
Taylor,  however,  did  not  hesitate  to  attack  with 
his  little  army  of  three  thousand.  He  sent  officers 
forward,  who  returned  and  reported  that  the  hill 
on  which  the  Bishop's  Palace  stood  could  be 
stormed  from  the  southwest.  If  the  Palace  could 
be  taken,  its  guns  could  then  be  turned  against 
the  other  forts,  and  against  the  town  itself. 


IN  THE  MEXICAN  WAR  45 

General  Taylor  directed  General  Worth  to  lead 
his  division  and  make  the  assault.  The  men 
went  forward  eagerly,  in  extended  order,  and 
quickly  there  was  a  crackling  of  rifles,  then  the 
crashing  of  guns.  The  American  artillery  was 
pushed  forward  into  a  ravine  from  which  they 
could  shell  the  Black  Fort,  and  soon  they  were 
replying  vigorously  to  the  Mexican  fire. 

Meantime,  Lieutenant  Grant,  who  as  quarter- 
master had  no  business  in  the  firing  line,  had  been 
looking  on  from  the  rear.  Finally  he  could  stand 
it  no  longer,  and,  jumping  upon  a  horse,  dashed 
to  the  front  on  his  own  account. 
»  Just  as  he  arrived  the  infantry  were  ordered  to 
charge  for  the  Black  Fort.  Grant  joined  them, 
and  urged  his  horse  forward.  At  once  the  air 
seemed  full  of  whistling  bullets,  from  the  fort 
and  from  the  city  housetops.  Men  began  falling 
rapidly.  The  firing  increased  as  they  drew  nearer, 
and  more  men  fell.  The  line  faltered.  Seeing 
that  his  men  could  not  reach  the  fort,  the  officer 
commanding  swung  the  attack  toward  the  city. 

Partly  encircling  the  town  at  this  point  was  a 
deep  ravine.  Crossing  the  ravine  were  several 
bridges.  These  were  defended  by  strong  forces 
of  the  enemy.  The  Americans  charged,  and  were 
met  by  a  terrific  fire.  Determinedly  they  held  on, 


46  ULYSSES  S.   GRANT 

however,  gained  one  of  the  bridges,  and  forced 
their  way  across.  With  the  foremost  went  Lieu- 
tenant Grant,  still  on  his  horse. 

They  were  now  in  the  city,  but  matters  were 
worse.  Every  house  was  a  fort,  with  the  de- 
fenders firing  from  the  windows  and  from  behind 
sandbags  piled  on  the  flat  roofs. 

In  the  center  of  the  town  was  a  plaza,  or  open 
square,  containing  the  city  buildings.  Here  was 
the  main  point  of  defense,  and  the  attackers  headed 
for  it.  The  streets  were  swept  by  the  guns  located 
in  the  square.  By  quick  rushes  from  corner  to  cor- 
ner, ten  companies  under  Colonel  Garland  forced 
their  way  ahead,  and  reached  the  last  barricade 
defending  the  square.  Here  they  were  brought 
to  a  standstill.  Because  of  the  hail  of  fire  they 
could  neither  press  on  nor  withdraw.  To  make 
matters  worse,  their  ammunition  began  to  give  out. 

It  became  necessary  to  send  back  word  of  their 
situation.  Colonel  Garland  called  for  volunteers. 

"Men,  I've  got  to  send  some  one  back  to  General 
Twiggs.  It's  a  dangerous  job,  and  I  don't  like  to 
order  any  man  to  do  it.  Who'll  volunteer?" 

Promptly  Lieutenant  Grant  offered  himself. 
"I've  got  a  horse,"  he  said. 

"You're  just  the  man  to  do  it.  Keep  on  the 
side  streets,  and  ride  hard,"  directed  the  colonel. 


IN  THE  MEXICAN  WAR  47 

Grant's  ability  as  a  rider  now  stood  him  in  good 
stead.  Like  an  Indian  of  the  plains,  he  swung 
sideways  from  his  saddle,  and,  with  one  heel 
behind  the  cantle  and  one  hand  hi  his  horse's 
mane,  hanging  out  of  sight,  he  dashed  at  full 
speed  down  a  cross  street.  At  every  corner  a 
volley  was  directed  at  him  from  the  plaza.  But 
he  flashed  by  too  quickly  for  effective  aim,  swung 
down  a  lane,  went  over  a  four-foot  wall  at  a  leap, 
and  finally  raced  out  of  the  zone  of  fire.  Regaining 
his  seat,  he  dashed  on  at  headlong  speed,  and  a  few 
minutes  later  drew  up  before  General  Twiggs  with 
his  message. 

At  nightfall  the  fighting  ceased,  to  be  resumed  at 
daylight.  For  a  time  the  Mexicans  continued 
to  defend  their  positions  stoutly,  but  at  last  gave 
up  the  struggle,  and  surrendered. 

Lieutenant  Grant's  ride  for  ammunition  was 
one  of  the  most  talked  of  episodes  of  the  battle. 
His  modest,  "I've  got  a  horse,"  did  not  divert 
praise  from  where  it  belonged. 


CHAPTER  VI 

EXPLOITS  IN  MEXICO 

AFTER  the  capture  of  Monterey  there  was  a 
lull  in  the  war  for  about  six  months,  at  the  end 
of  which  time  General  Winfield  Scott,  the  com- 
mander in  chief  of  the  United  States  Army,  was 
sent  to  take  personal  charge  of  the  campaign  in 
Mexico.  General  Scott  arrived  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Rio  Grande  late  in  December,  1846,  and  issued 
an  order  withdrawing  all  the  regular  troops  from 
General  Taylor's  command,  leaving  only  the  volun- 
teers. His  purpose  was  to  invade  Mexico  by  way 
of  Vera  Cruz,  a  coast  city  far  to  the  south. 

With  other  regular  regiments,  the  Fourth  In- 
fantry was  brought  back  from  Monterey,  and  with 
it  Acting  Quartermaster  Grant. 

For  several  weeks  the  army  camped  on  the  sand 
beach  at  the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Grande,  waiting  for 
transports.  When  the  vessels  came,  they  proved  to 
be  sailing  freighters,  with  very  little  accommodation 
for  passengers.  In  consequence  the  voyage  south- 
ward across  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  was  most  tedious. 
48 


EXPLOITS  IN  MEXICO  49 

The  first  destination  of  the  fleet  was  not  Vera 
Cruz  itself,  but  the  harbor  of  Anton  Lizador,  six- 
teen miles  south.  It  was  the  Qth  of  March,  1847, 
when  the  army  of  ten  thousand  men  landed  at  a 
point  three  miles  from  the  city. 

At  that  time  Vera  Cruz  was  entirely  surrounded 
on  the  land  side  by  a  wall.  Along  the  wall  at 
intervals  were  fortifications.  On  an  island  in  the 
harbor,  facing  the  city  a  half  mile  away,  was  a 
fortress  of  great  strength,  San  Juan  de  Ulloa. 

Altogether,  the  city  was  strongly  defended ;  and 
the  invading  army  made  their  camp  well  out  of 
range  of  its  guns.  During  the  night  their  artillery 
was  moved  forward,  and  early  in  the  morning  began 
the  bombardment.  There  was  no  infantry  fighting. 
The  cannonade  lasted  until  the  2yth  of  March, 
when  a  considerable  breach  was  made  in  the  walls. 
The  Mexicans  decided  not  to  wait  for  an  assault. 
The  governor  sent  out  a  flag  of  truce,  and  on  the 
29th  the  Americans  marched  in  and  took  possession. 

Five  thousand  prisoners  of  war  were  taken, 
four  hundred  pieces  of  artillery,  and  large  quantities 
of  small  arms  and  ammunition. 

During  the  siege  Lieutenant  Grant  continued  at 
his  duties  as  quartermaster,  but  at  every  oppor- 
tunity he  made  his  way  to  the  artillery  firing  line, 
to  watch  operations. 


50  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

Vera  Cruz  was  a  most  unhealthy  city  in  1847, 
and  as  the  yellow  fever  season  was  approaching, 
General  Scott  determined  to  move  on  for  Mexico 
City  without  delay.  The  first  division  of  the  army 
left  on  April  8,  heading  west  for  Jalapa.  General 
Worth's  division,  to  which  Lieutenant  Grant's 
regiment  belonged,  followed  five  days  later. 

The  first  division,  under  General  Twiggs,  en- 
countered the  enemy  in  force  under  the  Mexican 
president,  Santa  Anna,  at  Cerro  Gordo,  fifteen 
miles  east  of  Jalapa. 

The  Mexican  position  was  a  strong  one.  It 
commanded  a  spur  of  mountains  through  which  the 
road  from  Vera  Cruz  turned  and  twisted,  with  a 
sheer  wall  of  rock  on  one  side,  and  a  deep  chasm 
on  the  other.  At  every  bend  cannon  had  been 
placed  and  barricades  erected. 

A  direct  attack  was  out  of  the  question,  and 
General  Scott  sought  a  way  of  making  a  flank 
attack.  He  sent  out  several  reconnoitering  parties. 
It  is  interesting  to  note  that  among  the  young 
officers  in  charge  of  the  scouting  parties  were  Cap- 
tain Robert  E.  Lee  and  Lieutenant  George  B. 
McClellan,  who  later  were  to  play  such  important 
rdles  on  opposite  sides  of  a  greater  struggle. 

The  scouting  parties  decided  that  it  would  be 
possible  to  cut  a  path  down  one  wall  of  a  certain 


EXPLOITS  IN  MEXICO  51 

ravine  and  up  the  other,  and  thus  reach  a  point 
looking  down  on  the  rear  of  the  enemy's  position. 
The  cutting  of  the  path  proved  difficult  and 
dangerous  work,  particularly  as  it  had  to  be  carried 
on  only  at  night.  But  in  the  end  it  was  accom- 
plished, and  General  Scott  gave  the  order  for  the 
attack.  At  the  same  tune  he  directed  General 
Pillow  to  attack  at  another  point,  to  draw  the 
enemy's  attention. 

The  engineers  who  had  made  the  path  led  the 
way,  and  the  troops  followed.  The  artillery  was 
lowered  into  the  ravine  by  ropes,  and  hoisted 
up  the  opposite  wall  in  the  same  manner. 

Without  alarming  the  unsuspecting  enemy,  the 
attacking  party  gained  the  opposite  height,  and 
made  their  way  to  the  point  aimed  at,  which  was 
behind  the  Mexican  lines.  They  opened  fire. 
The  surprise  was  complete.  In  a  wild  panic  the 
Mexican  reserve  force  behind  the  breastworks 
fled,  and  those  defending  the  barricades  threw 
down  their  arms  and  surrendered.  The  total  num- 
ber to  give  themselves  up  was  three  thousand. 
Besides  the  prisoners,  a  large  number  of  cannon, 
small  arms,  and  stores  were  taken. 

One  prize  created  much  amusement  —  the  Mexi- 
can president's  wooden  leg.  It  was  found  in  his  car- 
riage, together  with  a  considerable  sum  of  money. 


52  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

With  the  main  Mexican  army  thus  disposed  of, 
the  Americans  pushed  on,  and  occupied  Jalapa. 
This  town  is  described  as  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
in  Mexico,  with  an  unusually  pleasant  climate, 
because  of  its  altitude.  The  invading  army  was 
glad  to  rest  here  for  several  weeks ;  then  it  moved 
to  the  southwest,  and  occupied  Puebla,  the  second 
largest  city  in  the  country,  without  opposition. 

From  Puebla  the  march  westward  continued, 
and  in  August  the  invaders  passed  the  last  mountain 
barrier  and  looked  down  on  a  magnificent  green 
plain,  dotted  with  lakes  and  villages,  and  in  its 
midst  the  beautiful  City  of  Mexico. 

At  a  little  Indian  village  on  the  shore  of  Lake 
Chalco,  General  Scott  established  his  troops  and 
began  to  reconnoiter.  Two  Americans  who  had 
lived  in  the  City  of  Mexico  offered  themselves  as 
guides.  These  guides  explained  the  defenses  of 
the  city.  It  was  entirely  surrounded  by  dikes 
and  ditches;  at  certain  points  were  bridges  and 
gates,  defended  by  fortifications. 

After  considering  the  situation,  General  Scott 
decided  to  move  around  the  southern  shores  of  the 
intervening  lakes,  and  attack  the  city  from  the  rear. 
A  roadway  encircled  Lake  Chalco,  close  to  the  moun- 
tains. The  army  followed  this  road,  and  reached  a 
little  Indian  town  about  ten  miles  from  the  city. 


EXPLOITS  IN  MEXICO  53 

West  of  this  village  was  an  old  lava  bed,  so  rough 
and  overgrown  with  cactus  that  the  Mexicans 
believed  no  one  could  pass  through  it.  The  Ameri- 
can engineers  soon  found  a  way  across,  however, 
and  early  one  morning  the  troops  appeared  before 
the  town  of  Contreras,  ten  or  twelve  miles  from  the 
City  of  Mexico,  on  the  opposite  side.  The  Mexican 
defenders  fled  in  terror  at  the  unexpectedness  of 
the  attack,  and  retreated  to  the  defenses  of  the 
city. 

The  next  outlying  stronghold  of  the  city  defenses 
was  the  church  and  convent  of  Churubusco,  which 
had  been  turned  into  forts.  The  church  building, 
surrounded  by  a  high  wall,  looked  strong  enough 
to  withstand  a  siege.  But,  at  the  word  from  their 
officers,  the  Americans  dashed  forward  across  an 
open  field,  scrambled  over  the  outer  earthworks, 
silenced  the  cannon,  and  with  ladders  poured  over 
the  wall. 

So  impetuous  were  the  American  attacks  that 
the  Mexicans  became  demoralized;  and  had 
General  Scott  understood  the  situation,  he  could 
have  pressed  on  and  occupied  Mexico  City  itself 
at  once. 

Lieutenant  Grant,  meanwhile,  was  with  another 
division  of  the  army  which  had  occupied  Tacubaya, 
a  little  Indian  village  on  the  edge  of  the  high  ground 


54  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

about  four  miles  from  the  city.  Here  a  rocky, 
wooded  point  of  the  plateau  extended  into  the  flat 
lands,  and  ended  in  a  high,  rocky  knob.  On  this 
knob,  which  formed  a  strong  natural  fortress, 
towered  the  fortified  castle  of  Chapultepec.  The 
castle,  which  was  a  long,  low,  thick-walled  struc- 
ture, covered  most  of  the  knoll.  On  the  sides  and 
at  the  base  were  other  supporting  fortifications, 
and  a  great  stone  aqueduct,  whose  archways  had 
been  built  in  to  make  a  solid  wall. 

Behind  the  fortress,  within  the  wall  formed  by 
the  aqueduct,  was  an  old  mill  —  the  Molino  del 
Rey  —  which  was  used  as  a  camion  foundry.  It 
was  a  square  building  with  a  wide  wall  surrounding 
it.  This  wall  was  so  thick  that  sheds  and  houses 
were  built  into  it. 

The  whole  —  the  castle,  the  mill,  and  the  aque- 
duct —  formed  the  strongest  fortress  held  by  the 
Mexicans. 

On  the  night  of  September  7  General  Worth, 
who  was  in  command  of  the  division,  moved  his 
men  as  near  the  mill  as  possible,  and  at  daybreak 
a  charge  was  made.  The  fighting  was  brief, 
but  desperate.  The  mill  was  taken,  lost,  and  re- 
taken several  times  before  it  was  finally  held  by 
the  Americans. 

Grant  again  managed  to  get  into  the  thick  of  the 


EXPLOITS  IN  MEXICO  55 

fighting.  He  was  one  of  the  first  to  force  his  way 
within  the  walls  surrounding  the  mill.  Most  of 
the  Mexicans  were  fleeing,  but  on  the  roof  of  the 
mill  Grant  noticed  several  of  the  enemy  still 
firing.  Seeing  no  stairway  or  ladder  to  the  roof, 
he  called  some  soldiers  to  help,  and  dragged  a 
heavy,  two-wheeled  cart  to  the  side  of  the  building. 
They  raised  the  shafts  against  the  wall,  chocked 
the  wheels  so  that  the  cart  would  not  roll  back, 
and  scrambled  up  the  narrow  shafts  as  if  they  were 
ladders. 

The  young  officer's  description  of  what  followed 
is  characteristic  of  his  honesty  in  giving  credit  to 
others :  — 

"I  climbed  to  the  roof  of  the  building,  followed 
by  a  few  of  the  men,  but  found  a  private  soldier 
had  preceded  me  by  some  other  way.  There  were 
still  quite  a  number  of  Mexicans  on  the  roof,  among 
them  a  major  and  five  or  six  officers  of  lower  grades, 
who  had  not  succeeded  in  getting  away  before  our 
troops  occupied  the  building.  They  still  had  their 
arms,  while  the  soldier  before  mentioned  was 
walking  as  sentry,  guarding  the  prisoners  he  had 
surrounded  all  by  himself." 

Another  incident  of  the  fight  was  related  by 
Captain  Longstreet :  — 

"His  [Grant's]  friend  Dent  was  shot,  and  es- 


56  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

caped  being  killed  by  Grant's  intervention.  While 
pursuing  the  Mexicans,  who  were  crowding  into 
the  mill  for  safety,  he  stumbled  over  his  friend,  who 
was  lying  on  the  floor  with  a  wound  in  the  thigh. 
Just  as  he  was  stooping  to  examine  Dent's  wound, 
Grant  came  face  to  face  with  a  Mexican  with 
musket  raised  to  fire.  The  Mexican  wheeled  to 
escape,  and  seeing  Lieutenant  Thorn  standing  be- 
tween him  and  the  door,  was  about  to  fire  when 
Grant  shouted  a  warning.  The  Mexican  was  killed 
by  Thorn ;  then  all  the  squad  rushed  through  into 
the  enclosure  of  the  mill,  hot  on  the  track  of  the 
fleeing  Mexicans.  The  charge  had  been  so  im- 
petuous that  those  who  were  behind  the  parapets 
on  the  roof  of  the  mill  could  not  escape.  They 
were  treed  like  wildcats  on  the  walls.  Grant  was 
everywhere  on  the  field.  He  was  always  cool, 
swift,  and  unhurried  in  battle.  He  was  as  uncon- 
cerned apparently  as  if  it  were  a  hailstorm  instead 
of  a  storm  of  bullets.  I  had  occasion  to  observe 
his  superb  courage  under  fire.  So  remarkable  was 
his  bravery  that  mention  was  made  of  it  in  the 
official  reports,  and  I  heard  his  colonel  say,  'There 
goes  a  man  of  fire.'" 

The  capture  of  the  mill  proved  only  a  temporary 
success.  The  cannon  on  the  castle  of  Chapul tepee 
got  the  range,  and  poured  so  heavy  a  fire  into  the 


EXPLOITS  IN  MEXICO  57 

mill  that  the  captors  were  compelled  to  withdraw. 
Volunteers  were  then  called  for  to  make  an  attack 
on  the  castle  itself. 

This  was  a  desperate  undertaking.  It  seemed 
that  the  fortress,  in  the  hands  of  a  few  determined 
men,  should  have  held  out  against  an  army  of 
thousands.  It  loomed  high  over  the  defenses  at  its 
base,  and  cannon  projected  grimly  from  its  parapets 
and  from  openings  down  the  face  of  the  walls. 
Yet  volunteers  came  forward  readily,  and  two 
columns  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  men  each  were 
formed. 

At  the  word,  one  party  dashed  forward,  and 
proceeded  coolly  to  dig  its  way  through  the  built-in 
archways  of  the  old  aqueduct.  They  got  through, 
and  with  a  cheer  started  for  the  inner  defenses. 
The  second  party  made  for  the  south  side  of  the 
castle.  Disregarding  the  murderous  fire  poured 
down  upon  them,  they  gained  and  scrambled  over 
the  outer  earthworks  and  ditches,  clambering  up 
the  walls  in  the  very  face  of  the  cannon.  Nothing 
could  stop  them,  and  the  defenders  of  the  castle 
gave  up  the  fight  and  fled  wildly. 

The  main  body  of  the  attacking  force  now  took 
up  the  pursuit  and  followed  the  fleeing  Mexicans 
toward  Mexico  City. 

Lieutenant  Grant,  who  as  usual  had  been  in 


58  ULYSSES  S.   GRANT 

the  midst  of  the  fighting,  joined  the  most  advanced 
party,  pushing  north  along  a  road  which  followed 
the  aqueduct  toward  the  San  Cosine  gate.  Beyond 
the  castle  the  arches  of  the  aqueduct  had  not  been 
built  in.  The  Americans  took  advantage  of  this, 
and  dashed  forward  from  one  archway  to  another. 
The  resistance  offered  was  not  serious  until  they 
drew  near  a  point  at  which  the  aqueduct  took  an 
abrupt  turn,  following  a  road  that  ran  eastward 
toward  the  city.  Here  they  were  met  by  artillery 
fire  from  an  earthwork  at  the  crossing  of  the  two 
roads,  and  by  rule  fire  from  the  tops  of  houses  be- 
yond. The  fire  was  so  heavy  that  the  little  ad- 
vance party  was  brought  to  a  halt,  and  had  to  seek 
shelter  in  an  arch. 

Not  far  away,  at  the  southwest  corner  of  the 
crossroads,  was  a  house  surrounded  by  a  stone 
wall.  Lieutenant  Grant  determined  to  reconnoiter 
in  that  direction.  When  a  lull  came  in  the  firing, 
he  dashed  across  the  road  and  got  under  cover  of 
the  wall.  He  passed  along  to  its  southwestern 
corner  and  peeped  about.  No  one  was  in  sight. 
He  crept  on  along  the  wall  to  the  northern  corner, 
and  again  looked  about  cautiously,  this  time 
straight  down  the  road  to  the  east.  He  could  see 
directly  behind  the  earthwork  at  the  crossroad 
from  which  the  cannon  was  firing. 


EXPLOITS  IN  MEXICO  59 

Grant  lost  no  time  in  hastening  back  to  his  com- 
panions and  calling  for  volunteers.  A  dozen  re- 
sponded. He  ordered  the  remainder  to  keep  up  a 
sharp  fire  on  every  head  showing  above  the  earth- 
work. The  volunteers  made  a  dash  across  the 
road  and  gained  the  stone  wall. 

Before  the  party  had  reached  the  point  it  was 
heading  for,  they  were  joined  by  a  second  detach- 
ment of  men  who  had  been  making  their  way  along 
a  near-by  ditch.  Grant  explained  his  purpose  to 
the  officer  in  command  of  this  detachment,  and  the 
officer,  although  his  senior  in  rank,  told  him  to 
proceed  and  to  lead  the  way. 

Grant  did  so,  and  a  few  minutes  later  the  whole 
party  suddenly  sprang  into  the  road  north  of  the 
wall  and  opened  fire  on  the  enemy  at  the  cross- 
roads. With  cries  of  surprise  and  fright  the  Mexi- 
cans retreated  precipitately,  leaving  their  cannon. 
The  men  on  the  housetops  beyond  followed. 
The  attacking  party,  joined  by  the  men  from  the 
arches,  pursued  the  enemy  so  closely  that  they 
captured  a  second  earthwork  farther  along  the 
road  before  the  Mexicans  could  rally. 

Later  in  the  day  Lieutenant  Grant  carried  out 
an  even  more  daring  and  successful  feat.  Re- 
connoitering  to  the  south  of  the  San  Cosme  road, 
he  discovered  a  church,  the  belfry  of  which,  it 


60  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

seemed  to  him,  would  command  the  San  Cosme 
gate  into  the  city.  He  returned  and  secured  a 
small  mountain  howitzer  and  a  number  of  men, 
and  started  again  for  the  church.  For  easier 
carrying,  the  gun  was  taken  to  pieces. 

The  San  Cosme  road  itself  being  still  in  posses- 
sion of  the  enemy,  the  little  squad  of  Americans 
had  to  take  to  the  fields  to  reach  their  destination. 
This  took  them  over  several  ditches  breast-deep 
with  water  and  filled  with  a  thick  growth  of  tropi- 
cal water  plants.  They  struggled  through  without 
mishap  and  arrived  at  the  church. 

With  difficulty  the  gun  was  carried  up  into 
the  belfry.  There  it  was  put  together.  When 
all  was  ready,  it  was  trained  through  a  belfry 
window  and  the  gunners  opened  fire  on  the  houses 
beyond  the  San  Cosme  gate.  The  Mexicans  were 
dumbfounded,  and  the  attack  from  the  strange 
and  lofty  fortress  soon  began  to  tell  on  their 
resistance. 

General  Worth,  who  witnessed  the  exploit,  was 
so  gratified  that  he  sent  for  Lieutenant  Grant  and 
complimented  him. 

And  the  City  of  Mexico  surrendered  that  night. 
In  the  morning  the  United  States  troops  entered 
and  took  possession,  and  the  Mexican  War  was 
virtually  at  an  end. 


EXPLOITS  IN  MEXICO  61 

In  later  years,  when  writing  of  the  Mexican 
campaign,  General  Grant's  generosity  and  fairness 
toward  his  opponents  is  shown  by  his  words  of 
praise  for  the  Mexican  soldier:  "The  private 
soldier  was  picked  from  the  lower  class  of  the  in- 
habitants/' he  wrote ;  "his  consent  was  not  asked ; 
he  was  poorly  clothed,  worse  fed,  and  seldom  paid. 
.  .  .  With  all  this,  I  have  seen  as  brave  stands 
made  by  some  of  these  men  as  I  have  ever  seen 
made  by  soldiers." 


CHAPTER    VII 

OUT  OF  THE  ARMY 

THE  war  over,  Quartermaster  Grant,  now  a 
brevet  captain,  returned  to  New  Orleans  with  his 
regiment.  Shortly  after  the  regiment  was  ordered 
north  to  posts  on  the  Great  Lakes,  but  Captain 
Grant  procured  a  leave  of  absence,  and  set  out  on  a 
much  more  important  mission. 

Before  leaving  for  Mexico  he  had  secured  the 
promise  of  Miss  Julia  Dent  to  become  his  wife. 
He  now  asked  her  to  keep  her  word,  and  they  were 
married  quietly  in  St.  Louis,  on  the  22d  of  August, 
1848. 

The  honeymoon  was  spent  at  the  Grant  home  in 
Bethel  and  in  visiting  friends  and  relatives  in 
Georgetown,  Bantam,  and  other  places.  Every- 
where the  young  "veteran"  was  made  much  of, 
particularly  in  the  home  of  his  boyhood,  George- 
town. There  the  people  who  had  called  him 
"Useless,"  and  who  had  declared  he  would  never 
amount  to  anything,  were  the  first  to  acclaim 
him  a  hero. 

62 


OUT  OF  THE  ARMY  63 

The  happy  furlough  passed  quickly,  and  in 
November  the  young  officer  took  his  bride  with 
him  and  joined  his  regiment  at  Detroit.  He  was 
still  regimental  quartermaster.  This  fact  should 
have  held  him  at  Detroit,  but  presently,  through 
some  favoritism  or  jealousy,  he  was  ordered  by 
his  commander  to  the  small,  lonesome  post  at 
Sackett's  Harbor  on  Lake  Ontario. 

Again  Grant's  evenness  of  disposition  showed 
itself.  Instead  of  becoming  morose  and  disagree- 
able because  of  his  unfair  treatment,  he  bore  him- 
self in  a  way  that  quickly  made  an  agreeable  im- 
pression on  the  men  under  him.  In  later  years 
he  was  remembered  by  one  of  them  as  a  "mild 
spoken  man  who  always  asked  his  men  to  do  their 
duty,  and  never  ordered  them  in  an  offensive  way." 
"He  was  very  sociable  —  always  talked  to  a  man 
freely  and  without  putting  on  the  airs  of  a  superior 
officer,"  said  another.  At  the  same  time  he  was  a 
strict  disciplinarian. 

At  that  time  Grant  wore  his  hair  rather  long, 
but  had  shaved  the  beard  he  had  allowed  to  grow 
during  the  campaign  in  Mexico. 

"He  lived  very  modestly  —  he  couldn't  afford 
to  do  anything  else  on  his  pay  —  but  his  wife  made 
his  quarters  cozy  and  homelike.  His  only  dissi- 
pation was  in  owning  a  fast  horse.  He  still  had  a 


64  ULYSSES  S.   GRANT 

passion  for  horses,  and  was  willing  to  pay  a  high 
price  to  get  a  fine  one." 

During  the  monotonous  life  at  Sackett's  Harbor 
Grant  became  an  expert  checker-player.  It  is 
related  that  he  occasionally  rode  over  to  Water- 
town,  ten  miles  away,  to  meet  the  local  checker 
champion,  a  shoemaker.  The  two  arranged  a 
series  of  games,  and  it  was  agreed,  it  is  said,  that  in 
the  event  of  a  draw  the  victory  would  be  decided 
by  a  footrace.  The  contest  proved  a  tie,  and  con- 
sequently Captain  Grant  and  the  shoemaker  ran 
a  race.  Grant  won  easily,  without  removing  the 
long  riding-duster  he  wore. 

In  the  spring  Grant  was  returned  to  his  proper 
post  at  Detroit,  thanks  to  the  intervention  of  his 
former  commander  in  Mexico,  General  Scott.  The 
succeeding  three  years  passed  uneventfully,  save 
for  the  arrival  to  Captain  and  Mrs.  Grant  of  a  little 
son,  whom  they  called  Frederick  Dent  Grant.  In 
the  spring  of  1852  the  Fourth  Infantry  was  ordered 
to  the  Pacific  coast.  The  Grants  decided  that  it 
would  be  unwise  for  Mrs.  Grant  and  her  little 
son  to  make  the  long  and  fatiguing  journey,  and 
accordingly  the  young  officer  sorrowfully  left  his 
wife  behind  with  his  father  and  mother,  at  Bethel, 
Ohio.  In  April  the  regiment  was  assembled  at 
Governor's  Island,  in  New  York  Harbor ;  on  the 


OUT  OF  THE  ARMY  65 

5th  of  July  it  sailed  aboard  the  steamship  Ohio  for 
the  Isthmus  of  Panama. 

The  troops  landed  at  AspinwaU  —  now  Colon  — 
to  cross  the  Isthmus  there  and  take  ship  again  on 
the  Pacific  side. 

And  now  came  a  supreme  test  of  Grant's  patience 
and  general  resourcefulness  as  quartermaster. 
Upon  him  fell  the  responsibility  of  moving  the 
troops,  their  wives  and  families,  and  the  baggage 
and  regimental  equipment. 

To  begin  with,  the  rainy  season  was  at  its 
height.  The  streets  of  AspinwaU  were  eight  or 
ten  inches  under  water,  and  rain  was  falling  heavily 
every  day,  except  for  intervals  when  the  sun 
broke  through  with  blazing  heat.  Worse  yet, 
cholera  had  appeared. 

Grant  "wondered  how  any  person  could  live 
many  months  in  AspinwaU,  and  wondered  still 
more  why  any  one  tried." 

The  Panama  Railroad  had  been  completed  only 
as  far  as  the  Chagres  River.  From  that  point 
passengers  were  taken  by  boats  poled  slowly  up 
the  river  by  natives  to  Gorgona.  From  Gorgona 
they  traveled  by  mules  the  remainder  of  the  dis- 
tance to  Panama,  about  twenty-five  miles. 

Hastening  matters  as  much  as  possible,  Grant 
succeeded  in  getting  the  troops  away  from  Aspin- 


66  ULYSSES  S.   GRANT 

wall  and  as  far  as  Gorgona.  Here  his  real  difficul- 
ties began.  The  mules  which  had  been  contracted 
for  were  not  on  hand,  and  the  agent  who  was  to 
provide  them  declared  that  they  were  not  to  be 
had.  A  consultation  was  held,  and  it  was  decided 
to  march  the  troops  the  remainder  of  the  distance, 
with  the  exception  of  one  company,  which  should 
remain  to  assist  with  the  baggage. 

The  regiment  departed,  and  Grant  was  left 
with  the  one  company,  the  soldiers  with  families, 
and  the  tents  and  other  equipment.  He  began 
searching  for  the  necessary  mules  on  his  own  ac- 
count. 

Before  he  had  succeeded,  cholera  appeared  among 
the  soldiers  left  with  him.  Grant  determined  to 
allow  those  who  were  still  able  to  follow  the  re- 
mainder of  the  regiment  at  once,  on  foot,  to  remove 
them  from  danger.  The  doctors  went  with  them, 
and  the  young  quartermaster  was  left  entirely 
alone  with  the  sick  and  dying  among  the  soldiers 
and  their  families. 

It  was  a  week  later  when  Grant's  continued 
efforts  resulted  in  locating  mules  among  the 
natives.  With  this  aid  the  party  at  last  started 
for  Panama;  but  by  the  time  they  reached 
the  Pacific  one  third  of  their  number  had  suc- 
cumbed to  the  dread  disease. 


OUT  OF  THE  ARMY  67 

At  Panama  Grant  learned  that  the  cholera  had 
broken  out  among  the  troops  who  had  preceded 
him,  and  who  had  boarded  the  waiting  troop-ship. 
An  ordinary  man  would  have  been  utterly  dis- 
couraged. Our  young  quartermaster,  however, 
tackled  his  new  difficulties  with  the  same  patience 
and  courage  that  he  had  previously  shown. 

Besides  the  ordinary  provisions,  it  was  now  his 
duty  to  provide  all  the  necessary  hospital  facilities 
and  medicines.  For  a  time  there  were  twelve  or 
fifteen  deaths  daily,  and  fifty  or  sixty  dangerously 
sick  patients  crowding  the  limited  quarters  of  the 
plague-stricken  vessel. 

"  Grant  seemed  to  be  a  man  of  iron  in  endurance, 
seldom  sleeping,  and  then  only  for  two  or  three 
hours  at  a  time,"  said  a  member  of  the  regiment, 
later.  "Yet  his  work  was  always  done,  and  his 
supplies  always  ample,  and  at  hand."  He  did 
more  than  merely  fulfill  his  duties.  "He  seemed  to 
take  a  personal  interest  in  every  sick  man.  He 
was  like  a  ministering  angel  to  us  all." 

When  the  plague  was  at  last  checked,  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  men,  or  one  seventh  of  the  regiment, 
had  died.  The  troop-ship,  the  Golden  Gate,  then 
began  its  northward  voyage,  and  arrived  safely 
at  San  Francisco.  A  few  weeks  later  the  Fourth 
Infantry  was  in  permanent  quarters  at  Fort  Van- 


68  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

couver,  on  the  Columbia  River,  near  the  site  of 
what  is  now  Portland. 

After  the  harrowing  experiences  of  the  long 
journey  from  New  York,  life  was  very  quiet  and 
uneventful  at  the  army  post.  There  was  no  trouble 
with  the  Indians,  and  Brevet  Captain  Grant  had 
only  the  routine  of  his  duties  as  quartermaster  to 
occupy  him. 

To  make  use  of  the  time  on  his  hands,  and  also 
to  add  something  to  his  modest  salary,  Grant  went 
into  a  farming  venture  with  a  young  brother  officer, 
Lieutenant  Wallen.  The  venture  was  first  sug- 
gested by  the  fact  that  at  Fort  Vancouver  potatoes 
were  selling  at  eight  and  nine  dollars  a  bushel. 

The  partners  rented  a  piece  of  ground  from  the* 
Hudson  Bay  Company,  plowed  it,  and  planted  and 
raised  a  fine  crop.  With  visions  of  a  snug  for~ 
tune,  they  set  about  looking  for  a  market,  and 
discovered  that  every  one  else  had  raised  potatoes ! 
Instead  of  being  worth  eight  or  nine  dollars  a 
bushel,  the  crop  could  not  be  sold  at  any  pricet 
Indeed,  the  partners  lost  money  by  the  venture; 
for  they  finally  had  to  pay  a  farmer  for  hauling 
the  potatoes  away,  to  prevent  them  decaying. 

During  the  following  winter  word  reached  Fort 
Vancouver  that  ice  was  bringing  a  fabulous  price  in 
San  Francisco.  Grant  and  Wallen,  with  a  third 


OUT  OF  THE  ARMY  69 

partner,  Lieutenant  Ingalls,  determined  to  supply 
the  need,  and  profit  accordingly.  They  cut  a 
hundred  tons  of  ice  on  the  Columbia  River,  and 
chartered  a  brig  to  carry  it  to  market.  The  vessel 
ran  into  several  weeks  of  adverse  winds,  and  by 
the  time  it  arrived  at  San  Francisco  a  large  quantity 
of  ice  had  been  brought  from  Sitka,  and  the  cargo 
could  not  be  given  away. 

When  a  third  venture,  in  cattle  buying,  had  no 
better  result,  the  partners  wisely  decided  that  they 
had  no  gift  for  business,  and  gave  it  up.  In  any 
case  the  partnership  would  have  ended  that  au- 
tumn, for  in  September  Grant  received  his  promo- 
tion to  the  full  rank  of  captain,  and  was  assigned 
to  the  command  of  F  Company,  at  Fort  Humboldt, 
two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  north  of  San  Francisco. 

The  advancement  was  not  the  piece  of  good 
fortune  it  at  first  appeared.  Seven  months  later 
it  led  to  Captain  Grant's  retirement  from  the 
army. 

In  after  years  various  explanations  were  given 
for  Grant's  resignation.  It  was  charged  by  his 
enemies  that  his  retirement  was  due  to  intemper- 
ance. Unfortunately,  there  appears  to  have  been 
just  sufficient  excuse  to  give  such  stories  an  ap- 
pearance of  truth.  But  it  is  equally  certain,  if 
the  stories  did  have  some  foundation,  that  Grant 


70  ULYSSES  S.   GRANT 

manfully  and  splendidly  conquered  a  weakness 
that  might  have  betrayed  many  young  men  under 
like  discouraging  circumstances.  It  is  possible 
that  our  general's  greatest  battle  and  greatest 
victory  have  never  been  put  into  words. 

Grant's  army  friends  did  not  accept  these  stories, 
however.  The  reasons  they  gave  for  his  retirement 
were  mental  depression,  due  to  the  change  from  the 
pleasant  surroundings  at  Fort  Vancouver  to  the 
monotonous  life  of  a  small  army  post ;  the  longing 
for  the  company  of  his  family,  as  his  salary  did 
not  permit  him  to  bring  them  to  the  coast ;  and,  last 
but  not  least,  the  unfriendliness  and  general  petty 
tyranny  of  his  new  commanding  officer.  For  this 
officer  was  the  same  Captain  Buchanan  who  had 
shown  such  a  hostile  spirit  toward  Grant  at  the 
mess-table  in  St.  Louis,  shortly  after  he  had  joined 
the  regiment. 

One  of  his  old  comrades,  who  met  him  after  his 
resignation,  thought  Grant  had  acted  hastily,  in 
a  moment  of  disgust,  without  giving  the  step 
proper  consideration. 

"Grant,"  he  said,  "spoke  of  his  longing  for  the 
quiet  life  of  a  farmer,  and  it  was  apparent  to  me 
that  his  boyhood  ambition  to  be  a  tiller  of  the  soil 
had  returned.  I  never  knew  a  man  better  than  I 
knew  Grant,  and  I  never  knew  a  better  man." 


OUT  OF  THE  ARMY  71 

It  was  in  April,  1854,  that  Grant  left  the  army. 
He  made  his  way  to  New  York,  by  way  of  the  Isth- 
mus, and  reached  his  father's  home  in  Ohio  practi- 
cally penniless.  It  was  a  sad  home-coming. 

The  years  that  immediately  followed  were  no 
happier  than  their  unfortunate  beginning.  His 
experience  in  the  army  seemingly  had  unfitted 
Grant  for  success  in  everyday  life.  Everything  he 
attempted  ended  in  disaster. 

First  he  tried  farming,  upon  land  near  St.  Louis 
which  his  wife  had  inherited.  He  cleared  it,  and 
built  a  log  house,  with  the  assistance  of  his  neigh- 
bors. Because  of  the  hard  work  it  cost,  he  called 
the  new  home  "Hardscrabble."  Besides  farming, 
he  cut  and  hauled  firewood  for  sale  in  the  city. 

Next  he  tried  selling  real  estate.  At  this  also 
he  failed,  and  in  1860  he  took  a  position  as  clerk 
under  a  younger  brother,  Simpson  Grant,  in  a 
branch  of  his  father's  tanning  business  at  Galena, 
Illinois. 

Colonel  Nicholas  Smith  tells  a  story  of  Cap- 
tain Grant  in  Galena  which  shows  that  Grant's 
thoughtfulness  for  others  had  not  been  affected 
by  his  misfortunes.  Colonel  Smith  was  then  an 
apprentice  in  a  Galena  harness-shop. 

"I  had  been  in  the  shop  but  a  short  time,"  he 
relates,  "when  one  morning  the  foreman  told  me 


72  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

to  go  to  Grant's  and  get  some '  strap  oil.'  On  enter- 
ing the  store  the  only  person  I  saw  was  a  man  wear- 
ing an  army  overcoat  of  blue,  reading  a  paper. 
He  asked  what  I  wanted,  and  I  answered  that  I 
had  been  sent  for  some  strap  oil.  Instantly  he 
grasped  the  meaning  of  this,  and  in  a  quiet,  kindly 
way  he  replied,  'You  may  tell  your  foreman  that 
the  firm  has  no  strap  oil  this  morning.'  This 
was  a  great  disappointment  to  the  harness-shop 
force."  Of  course  they  were  waiting  to  see  the 
young  apprentice  return  much  faster  than  he  went. 
Another  story  shows  that  Captain  Grant  had 
retained  his  courage  as  well  as  his  kindness.  Like 
other  firms,  the  Grants  occasionally  had  difficulties 
with  dishonest  debtors.  One  such  firm  in  Wiscon- 
sin had  bought  goods  from  them  on  credit  and  then 
disposed  of  the  shipment  by  a  false  bill  of  sale. 
Captain  Grant  was  sent  to  collect  the  bill  or  to 
recover  the  goods  by  law.  Investigation  proved 
the  bill  of  sale  to  be  fraudulent,  and  a  writ  was 
given  a  deputy  sheriff,  who,  with  an  attorney  and 
the  captain,  proceeded  to  the  building  in  which 
the  goods  were  stored.  The  pretended  purchaser, 
having  heard  that  one  of  the  Grants  was  in  town, 
armed  himself  with  a  gun,  hastened  to  the  store, 
locked  the  door,  and  waited  for  the  coming  of  the 
officer.  When  the  deputy  arrived  and  attempted  to 


OUT  OF  THE  ARMY  73 

serve  the  papers,  a  threat  to  shoot  came  from 
within.  The  sheriff  was  at  a  loss  what  to  do. 

"Mr.  Deputy,"  suggested  Captain  Grant,  "if 
you  are  afraid  to  force  an  entrance  into  the  building, 
why  not  deputize  some  one  who  will  do  it  for  you  ?  " 

"Very  well,  I  deputize  you,"  replied  the  sheriff. 

Grant  stepped  back,  and  disregarding  the  re- 
peated threat  of  the  man  in  the  store,  ran  at  the 
door  and  rammed  it  with  his  foot.  With  a  crash  it 
flew  open.  They  entered,  served  the  papers  on  the 
cowed  defender,  and  recovered  the  goods. 

In  speaking  of  these  trying  years  we  should  not 
forget  Grant's  wife.  Although  brought  up  amid 
the  comfortable  surroundings  of  a  Southern  plan- 
tation, she  found  no  fault  with  the  disappointments 
and  trials  that  followed  Grant's  return  from  the 
coast.  Through  years  that  must  have  been  full 
of  discouragement  for  her,  she  comforted  and 
encouraged  her  husband,  and  performed  faithfully 
and  lovingly  all  her  duties  in  the  humble  home  he 
provided.  These  duties  had  not  decreased,  since 
their  little  family  now  consisted  of  three  boys  and 
a  baby  girl. 


CHAPTER  VIII 
EARLY  DAYS  OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR 

TBE  excitement  that  affected  the  whole  country- 
previous  to  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  did  not 
miss  Galena. 

A  few  days  after  the  firing  on  Fort  Sumter  a 
packed,  excited  meeting  was  held  in  the  court- 
house, and  heated  speeches  were  delivered.  Cap- 
tain Grant  was  present,  but  no  move  was  made 
to  enlist  volunteers  for  the  expected  struggle, 
and  he  took  no  part.  He  was  a  man  of  action 
and  not  of  words. 

Two  days  later  a  second  meeting  was  held,  and 
Captain  Grant  was  called  to  act  as  chairman. 
He  was  surprised,  and  advanced  to  the  platform 
hesitatingly.  He  is  described  as  being  at  that 
time  a  "shortish  man,  slightly  stooping,  carrying 
his  head  a  little  to  one  side."  He  wore  a  closely 
trimmed  beard,  light  brown  in  color. 

A  speech  was  called  for.  Grant  greatly  disliked 
public  speaking,  but  responded  briefly.  As  always, 
what  he  had  to  say  was  directly  to  the  point :  — 


EARLY  DAYS  OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR          75 

"Fellow-citizens,  this  meeting  is  called  to  or- 
ganize a  company  of  volunteers  to  serve  the  state 
of  Illinois.  Before  calling  upon  you  to  become 
volunteers,  I  wish  to  state  just  what  will  be  re- 
quired of  you.  First  of  all,  unquestioning  obe- 
dience to  your  superior  officers.  The  army  is  not 
a  picnicking  party,  nor  is  it  an  excursion.  You 
will  have  hard  fare.  You  may  be  obliged  to  sleep 
on  the  ground  after  long  marches  in  the  rain  and 
snow.  Many  of  the  orders  of  your  superiors 
will  seem  to  you  unjust,  and  yet  they  must  be 
borne.  If  an  injustice  is  really  done  you,  how- 
ever, there  are  courts-martial  where  your  wrongs 
can  be  investigated  and  offenders  punished.  If 
you  put  your  name  down  here,  it  should  be  in 
full  understanding  of  what  the  act  means.  In 
conclusion,  let  me  say  that  so  far  as  I  can  I  will 
aid  the  company,  and  I  intend  to  reenlist  in  the 
service  myself." 

Recruiting  began  immediately.  When  the  com- 
pany was  completed  the  command  of  it  was  offered 
to  Captain  Grant.  He  declined.  With  all  his 
practical  military  experience,  he  felt  he  could  be 
used  hi  a  higher  rank,  when  so  few  experienced 
military  men  were  available.  His  sole  idea  was 
to  be  useful. 

When  the  Galena  company  departed  for  Spring- 


76  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

field,  Grant  went  with  them,  bearing  a  letter  of 
introduction  to  Governor  Yates. 

Springfield,  the  state  capital,  was  full  of  people 
and  excitement.  In  response  to  President  Lin- 
coln's call  for  volunteers,  troops  were  pouring  in, 
and  all  was  buzz  and  activity.  Governor  Yates's 
office  was  crowded  when  Captain  Grant  made 
his  way  there.  After  waiting  for  several  hours 
he  was  received,  and  offered  his  services  in  any 
capacity.  To  his  surprise  and  disappointment 
the  governor  replied  shortly,  "I'm  sorry  to  say, 
Captain,  there  is  nothing  for  you  to  do.  Call 
again." 

Unfortunately  for  him,  Captain  Grant,  "rather 
small  and  a  little  stooped,"  did  not  give  the  im- 
pression of  being  a  capable  military  man.  Also, 
his  modesty  prevented  him  from  referring  to  his 
experience  hi  the  regular  army.  The  chief  reason 
for  his  being  abruptly  turned  away,  however,  was 
the  fact  that  he  had  no  strong  political  friends; 
for  at  that  time  practically  all  military  appoint- 
ments were  made  through  political  influence. 

Captain  Grant  took  his  meals  at  the  Chenery 
House.  There  he  began  to  make  a  few  acquaint- 
ances. Through  the  natural  discussion  of  mili- 
tary topics  he  soon  impressed  a  number  of  these 
acquaintances  with  his  sound  knowledge  of  mili- 


EARLY  DAYS  OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR         77 

tary  matters.  However,  nothing  transpired,  and 
he  determined  to  return  to  Galena. 

Governor  Yates  took  his  meals  at  the  same 
hotel.  He  had  observed  Grant's  bearing  in  his 
conversations  with  the  other  guests,  and  had  been 
impressed  by  it.  The  evening  Grant  had  decided 
to  leave,  the  governor  encountered  him  on  the 
hotel  steps. 

"Captain  Grant/'  said  the  governor,  "I  under- 
stand you  are  going  to  leave." 

"That  is  my  intention,"  Grant  replied. 

"I  wish  you  would  remain  over  night,  and  call 
at  my  office  in  the  morning,"  requested  the  gover- 
nor. 

With  high  hopes  Grant  did  as  requested,  and 
in  the  morning  presented  himself  at  the  governor's 
office.  Instead  of  the  command  of  a  regiment, 
he  was  offered  a  clerk's  desk  in  the  office  of  the 
adjutant  general,  at  a  salary  of  two  dollars  a  day. 

Most  men  would  have  refused  the  position  in- 
dignantly. Captain  Grant  accepted  it,  and  sought 
to  make  himself  as  useful  as  possible.  At  first 
he  was  given  the  simplest  work  to  do ;  but  despite 
his  modesty,  his  thorough  knowledge  of  military 
affairs  was  evident,  and  soon  he  became  the  general 
adviser  of  the  whole  office. 

The  ability  thus  displayed  again  attracted  the 


78  ULYSSES  S.   GRANT 

attention  of  Governor  Yates,  and  Captain  Grant 
was  taken  from  the  adjutant's  office  and  made 
drillmaster  at  two  adjacent  mobilization  camps. 
During  the  temporary  absence  of  General  Pope 
he  was  made  commander  at  Fort  Yates.  The 
next  step  was  an  appointment  as  mustering  of- 
ficer, and  he  was  sent  to  several  distant  points  to 
muster  in  new  regiments. 

On  one  of  these  trips  he  went  to  Mattoon  and 
mustered  in  the  regiment  from  the  Seventh  Con- 
gressional District.  This  regiment  was  recruited 
from  the  farms,  shops,  and  offices  of  the  district, 
and  at  the  time  of  its  mustering  it  was  commanded 
by  "Colonel"  Simon  S.  Goode.  Goode  had 
joined  the  regiment  as  captain  of  a  company 
from  Decatur,  and  had  been  elected  colonel  be- 
cause of  his  fine,  soldierly  bearing.  He  was  tall, 
straight,  and  commanding  in  appearance,  and 
wore  a  gray  flannel  shirt,  a  broad  hat,  and  high 
boots.  In  his  belt  he  carried  a  huge  bowie  knife 
and  three  revolvers.  Unfortunately,  however,  his 
bearing  and  dress  were  his  only  qualifications  as 
an  officer. 

It  was  this  regiment  that  Grant  was  later  given 
to  command.  By  that  time,  under  the  leader- 
ship of  Goode,  it  had  become  completely  dis- 
organized. The  more  unruly  of  the  soldiers  had 


EARLY  DAYS  OF  THE   CIVIL  WAR          79 

terrorized  the  whole  surrounding  country  by  tHeir 
foraging  and  drinking. 

The  battalion  was  ordered  to  Fort  Yates,  at 
Springfield,  and  here  Colonel  Grant  was  directed 
to  take  command. 

Some  ceremony  was  made  of  the  occasion. 
On  arriving  at  the  camp  in  the  company  of  Con- 
gressman John  A.  McClernand  and  John  A. 
Logan,  Colonel  Grant  found  the  regiment  as- 
sembled to  receive  him,  and  to  listen  to  speeches. 

For  two  hours  the  two  congressmen  spoke 
fervently  and  brilliantly.  At  the  conclusion  of 
his  stirring  address,  Congressman  Logan,  a  tall, 
fine-looking  man,  turned  and  indicated  Grant. 
"Allow  me  to  present  to  you  your  new  com- 
mander," he  said  dramatically,  "Colonel  U.  S. 
Grant." 

As  the  new  colonel  came  forward  quietly  from 
the  rear  of  the  platform,  the  soldiers  were  visibly 
astonished  and  disappointed.  Beside  the  man 
who  had  introduced  him  he  was  almost  insignif- 
icant. But  some  of  them  shouted  for  a  speech. 

Grant  drew  a  step  nearer,  and  in  a  voice  not 
loud,  but  clear  and  resolute,  said, 

"Men,  go  to  your  quarters!" 

Nothing  could  have  been  more  effective.  The 
five  simple  words  told  the  unruly  regiment  that 


8o  ULYSSES  S.   GRANT 

their  new  colonel  was  a  man  who  would  command, 
and  who  knew  his  business. 

They  had  a  few  more  words  from  him  that 
evening.  It  had  been  the  custom  of  the  previous 
colonel,  after  each  day's  evening  parade,  to  deliver 
a  grandiloquent  address.  The  speech  usually 
ended  with  this  dramatic  appeal :  — 

"I  know  that  this  regiment,  men  and  officers 
alike,  would  march  with  me  to  the  cannon's  mouth ! 
But  to  renew  and  verify  that  pledge,  the  regiment 
will  move  forward  two  paces!" 

Colonel  Grant  said,  "A  soldier's  first  duty  is 
to  learn  to  obey  his  commander.  I  shall  expect 
my  orders  to  be  obeyed  as  exactly  and  instantly 
as  if  we  were  on  the  field  of  battle." 

The  majority  of  the  men  of  the  regiment  welcomed 
their  new  commander  gladly.  With  a  number  of 
them  Colonel  Grant  had  some  difficulty,  partic- 
ularly with  certain  men  who  objected  to  his  order 
stopping  all  drinking.  He  came  on  the  scene  when 
one  of  the  most  unruly  of  these  characters,  a  big, 
powerful  man,  was  creating  a  disturbance. 

"What  is  the  matter?"  he  asked. 

"This  man  persists  in  bringing  liquor  into 
camp,  and  refuses  to  give  it  up." 

"Put  him  in  the  guardhouse." 

"He  resists  arrest." 


EARLY  DAYS  OF  THE   CIVIL  WAR          81 

The  man  struck  a  defiant  attitude  toward  his 
commanding  officer.  Grant  strode  toward  him. 
The  look  in  his  eyes  halted  the  bully.  Grant 
seized  him  by  the  collar,  swung  him  about,  and 
before  the  trouble-maker  had  collected  his  wits, 
hustled  him  to  the  gate  and  out  into  the  road. 

"Get  out  of  my  regiment,"  said  the  colonel. 
"I  don't  want  you  in  it.  You're  not  worth  dis- 
ciplining. If  you  come  back,  I'll  have  you  shot !" 

At  one  time  there  were  nearly  a  score  of  men 
tied  up  for  leaving  camp  against  orders,  and  for 
drunkenness  and  disorder.  Among  them  was 
a  dangerous  man  called  "Mexico,"  who  cursed 
his  commander,  and  said,  "For  every  minute  I 
stand  here  I'll  have  an  ounce  of  your  blood!" 

"Gag  that  man,"  said  Grant  quietly. 

When  the  man  had  been  punished  sufficiently, 
Grant,  to  show  him  how  little  he  feared  him, 
went  and  released  him  himself. 

This  practically  ended  the  new  colonel's  troubles 
with  the  regiment.  The  men  progressed  rapidly 
in  their  drill,  and  on  the  3d  of  July,  as  the  Twenty- 
first  Illinois  Volunteers,  were  ordered  to  the  front, 
one  of  the  first  corps  to  be  called  from  the  state. 
By  that  time  the  men  were  proud  of  their  com- 
mander, and  declared  they  had  the  best  colonel 
and  the  best  regiment  in  the  state. 


CHAPTER   IX 

PRELIMINARY  CONFLICTS 

THE  first  duty  assigned  Colonel  Grant  and 
his  regiment  was  the  uninteresting  task  of  guard- 
ing a  bridge  over  the  Salt  River  in  Missouri. 
Then  came  an  order  to  move  against  a  small 
force  of  Confederates  under  Colonel  Thomas 
Harris  which  had  taken  possession  of  the  little 
town  of  Florida,  some  twenty-five  miles  to  the 
south. 

Colonel  Grant's  own  account  of  this  first  ex- 
pedition is  interesting.  His  confession  of  uneasi- 
ness is  a  fine  example  of  truthfulness,  and  does 
not  make  us  think  less  of  him,  or  doubt  his  splendid 
courage. 

"While  preparations  for  the  move  were  going 
on,"  he  wrote,  "I  felt  quite  comfortable;  but 
when  we  got  on  the  road,  and  found  every  house 
deserted  I  was  anything  but  easy.  In  the  twenty- 
five  miles  we  had  to  march  we  did  not  see  a  person, 
except  two  horsemen,  who  .  .  .  decamped  as  fast 
as  their  horses  could  carry  them.  I  kept  my  men 
82 


PRELIMINARY  CONFLICTS  83 

in  the  ranks,  and  forbade  their  entering  any  of 
the  deserted  houses  and  taking  anything  from 
them.  We  halted  at  night  on  the  road,  and  pro- 
ceeded the  next  morning  at  an  early  hour.  Harris 
had  been  encamped  in  a  creek  bottom.  .  .  . 
The  hills  on  either  side  of  the  creek  extended  to 
a  considerable  height,  possibly  more  than  a  hun- 
dred feet.  As  we  approached  the  brow  of  the 
hill  from  which  it  was  expected  we  could  see 
Harris's  camp,  and  possibly  find  his  men  ready 
formed  to  meet  us,  my  heart  kept  getting  higher 
and  higher,  until  it  felt  to  me  as  though  it  was 
in  my  throat.  I  would  have  given  anything  then 
to  have  been  back  in  Illinois.  .  .  .  When  we 
reached  a  point  from  which  the  valley  below  was 
fully  in  view,  I  halted.  The  place  where  Harris 
had  been  encamped  a  few  days  before  was  still 
there,  and  the  marks  of  a  recent  encampment 
were  plainly  visible,  but  the  troops  were  gone. 
My  heart  resumed  its  place.  It  occurred  to  me 
at  once  that  Harris  had  been  as  much  afraid  of 
me  as  I  had  been  of  him.  .  .  .  From  that  event 
to  the  close  of  the  war  I  never  experienced  trepida- 
tion upon  confronting  an  enemy,  though  I  always 
felt  more  or  less  anxiety.  I  never  forgot  that  he 
had  as  much  reason  to  fear  my  forces  as  I  had  his. 
The  lesson  was  valuable." 


84  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

Inquiry  in  the  neighborhood  showed  that  the 
Confederates  had  left  several  days  before,  and 
were  already  some  forty  miles  away.  Colonel 
Grant  returned  to  his  old  camp  at  the  Salt  River 
bridge,  and  a  short  time  after  was  ordered  with 
his  regiment  farther  south  to  the  town  of  Mexico. 

Here  Colonel  Grant  was  given  command  of 
several  additional  regiments.  One  day,  during 
his  absence  from  headquarters,  a  telegram  was 
received  addressed  to  Brigadier  General  Grant ! 
It  was  the  first  word  of  his  further  promotion. 
When  he  returned  to  camp  he  found  his  own 
regiment,  the  Twenty-first,  lined  up  to  receive 
him.  Their  cheer  for  "General  Grant"  first 
told  him  of  his  new  rank. 

Shortly  following  his  promotion,  General  Grant 
was  given  command  over  a  district  embracing 
southern  Illinois  and  southeastern  Missouri.  On 
the  4th  of  September  he  set  up  his  headquarters 
at  Cairo,  at  the  extreme  southern  point  of  Illinois. 
The  post  at  Cairo  was  in  charge  of  Colonel  Richard 
Oglesby,  later  governor  of  Illinois. 

When  General  Grant  arrived  at  Cairo,  his 
brigadier  general's  uniform  had  not  yet  been 
received,  and  he  was  in  everyday  dress.  At  the 
headquarters  he  found  the  rooms  full  of  people. 
Colonel  Oglesby,  who  was  in  full  uniform,  thought 


PRELIMINARY  CONFLICTS  85 

him  some  country  stranger  with  a  favor  to  ask 
and  paid  little  attention  to  him.  Grant  quietly 
took  a  place  at  the  table,  reached  for  a  piece  of 
paper,  and  wrote  on  it  an  order  assuming  com- 
mand of  the  district.  Needless  to  say,  Colonel 
Oglesby  was  astonished  and  apologized  profusely. 
General  Grant  at  once  began  to  show  the  energy 
which  characterized  him  throughout  the  war.  On 
the  day  after  he  assumed  command  at  Cairo  one 
of  General  Fremont's  scouts  came  in  and  reported 
that  a  force  of  Confederates  had  left  Columbus, 
on  the  Mississippi  twenty  miles  below  Cairo,  and 
were  marching  northeast  on  Paducah,  at  the 
junction  of  the  Ohio  and  Tennessee  rivers.  Gen- 
eral Grant  saw  that  the  holding  of  Paducah  by 
the  enemy  would  be  a  serious  blow  to  the  Union 
cause  in  Kentucky,  and  that  action  to  prevent 
it  must  be  taken  quickly.  He  telegraphed  to 
General  Fremont  at  St.  Louis,  but  receiving  no 
reply,  he  determined  to  act  at  once  on  his  own 
responsibility.  There  were  a  large  number  of 
steamers  lying  in  the  river  at  Cairo.  General 
Grant  took  possession  of  them,  ordered  steam 
up,  and  during  the  early  part  of  the  night  sent 
his  troops  aboard.  The  boats  started  down- 
stream at  midnight,  and  by  early  morning  were 
before  Paducah.  The  troops  landed  and  found 


86  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

that  the  enemy  had  not  yet  appeared.  They  had 
won  the  race ! 

Had  General  Grant  waited  a  few  hours  longer, 
Paducah  would  have  been  occupied  and  fortified 
by  the  Confederates,  probably  with  far-reaching 
results  for  the  Union  cause. 

A  proclamation  which  General  Grant  issued  to 
the  people  of  Paducah  was  perhaps  of  as  much 
importance  as  the  occupation  of  the  city.  The 
attitude  of  the  state  of  Kentucky  had  been  a 
source  of  great  anxiety  to  the  people  of  the  North. 
General  Grant's  simple  and  dignified  announce- 
ment helped  greatly  to  turn  the  sentiment  to 
the  side  of  the  Union.  It  also  brought  Grant 
to  the  attention  of  President  Lincoln. 

"The  man  who  can  write  h'ke  that,"  declared 
the  President,  after  reading  Grant's  proclamation, 
"is  fitted  to  command  in  the  West." 

The  proclamation  read  as  follows : 

TO  THE  CITIZENS  OF  PADUCAH: 

I  have  come  among  you,  not  as  an  enemy,  but 
as  your  friend  and  fellow-citizen,  not  to  injure 
or  annoy  you,  but  to  respect  the  rights  and  defend 
and  enforce  the  rights  of  all  loyal  citizens.  An 
enemy  in  rebellion  against  our  common  government 
has  taken  possession  of  and  planted  its  guns  upon 


PRELIMINARY  CONFLICTS  87 

the  soil  of  Kentucky,  and  fired  upon  our  flag.  Hick- 
man  and  Columbus  are  in  his  hands;  he  is  moving 
upon  your  city.  I  am  here  to  defend  you  against 
this  enemy,  and  to  assert  and  maintain  the  authority 
and  sovereignty  of  your  government  and  mine.  I 
have  nothing  to  do  with  opinions.  I  deal  only  with 
armed  rebellion  and  its  aiders  and  abettors.  You 
can  pursue  your  usual  avocations  without  fear  or 
hindrance.  The  strong  arm  of  the  government  is 
here  to  protect  its  friends  and  to  punish  only  its 
enemies.  Whenever  it  is  manifest  that  you  are 
able  to  defend  yourselves,  to  maintain  the  authority 
of  your  government,  and  protect  the  rights  of  all  its 
loyal  citizens,  I  shall  withdraw  the  forces  under  my 
command  from  your  city. 

U.  S.  GRANT. 

Nothing  of  importance  occurred  for  two  months 
after  the  occupation  of  Paducah  by  the  Union 
forces.  General  Grant,  whose  command  had  been 
reenforced  to  20,000  men,  several  times  asked 
General  Fremont  for  permission  to  continue  the 
campaign  by  driving  the  Confederates  out  of 
Columbus.  General  Fremont  refused,  and  him- 
self took  the  field  in  the  latter  part  of  October 
against  General  Price  and  a  Confederate  army 
in  Missouri.  General  Grant  was  then  ordered 


88  ULYSSES  S.   GRANT 

to  make  a  demonstration  along  the  Mississippi 
River,  in  order  to  prevent  the  Confederates  in 
Columbus  from  sending  reinforcements  to  aid 
Price.  This  order  brought  about  General  Grant's 
first  battle. 

Part  of  his  troops,  under  General  Smith,  Grant 
sent  toward  Columbus,  to  threaten  that  city 
from  the  rear.  With  three  thousand  men,  two 
squadrons  of  cavalry,  and  two  guns,  he  himself 
started  down  the  river  from  Cairo  by  boat.  He 
did  not  intend  to  attack  Columbus,  but  merely 
to  make  a  feint  of  doing  so ;  for  the  enemy  was 
there  in  force,  and  had  strongly  fortified  the 
town. 

The  expedition  left  Cairo  on  the  evening  of 
November  6,  1861.  Early  the  following  morning 
General  Grant  learned  that  Confederate  troops 
were  crossing  the  river  from  Columbus,  apparently 
to  attack  Colonel  Oglesby,  who  had  gone  into 
Missouri  with  a  small  command  after  the  bandit 
Jeff  Thompson.  General  Grant  knew  there  was 
a  Confederate  camp  at  Belmont,  across  the  river 
from  Columbus.  He  determined  to  attack  and 
destroy  this  camp,  in  order  to  create  a  diversion 
and  prevent  the  attack  on  Colonel  Oglesby. 

About  daylight  the  Union  boats  crept  stealthily 
down  the  shore.  They  reached  a  point  nearly  a 


PRELIMINARY  CONFLICTS  89 

mile  and  a  half  from  the  camp,  and  the  troops 
began  debarking.  The  ground  was  low  and 
marshy,  and  heavily  timbered  except  for  a  few 
clearings.  By  eight  o'clock  all  the  men  were 
ashore,  and  the  move  forward  was  begun. 

In  the  midst  of  a  thick  wood  they  were  dis- 
covered by  the  enemy's  skirmishers.  At  once 
the  firing  began.  It  grew  hotter  and  hotter. 
The  officers  and  men  were  under  fire  for  the  first 
time,  but  they  behaved  splendidly.  Slowly  the 
enemy  was  pushed  back,  almost  from  tree  to  tree, 
and  after  four  hours  of  fierce  fighting  the  Con- 
federates broke  and  ran. 

Then  came  an  unfortunate  incident  which  showed 
the  danger  of  a  lack  of  discipline.  The  Northern 
soldiers,  pouring  into  the  Confederate  camp, 
dropped  their  rifles  and  began  rummaging  through 
the  tents  for  trophies.  In  vain  General  Grant 
endeavored  to  regain  control  over  them.  They 
refused  to  listen  to  words  of  command. 

While  this  was  going  on,  the  Confederates 
driven  from  the  camp  lay  crouched  under  cover 
of  the  river  bank,  ready  to  surrender  when  sum- 
moned to  do  so.  Finding  that  they  were  not 
pursued,  they  began  working  their  way  up  the 
river  under  cover,  and  came  out  on  the  bank 
between  the  attackers  and  their  transports. 


90  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

General  Grant  discovered  the  threatening  situa- 
tion, and  ordered  one  of  his  staff  officers  to  fire 
the  tents.  When  the  smoke  went  up  above  the 
trees  it  at  once  drew  a  cannonade  from  the  guns 
on  the  heights  across  the  river  at  Columbus.  The 
men  were  thrown  into  a  panic,  and  there  was  a  cry, 
"We  are  surrounded !" 

"We  have  cut  our  way  in,  and  can  cut  our  way 
out,"  said  General  Grant.  The  confident  remark 
brought  officers  and  men  to  their  senses,  and  they 
began  an  orderly  retreat  to  the  transports.  The 
losses  were  heavy,  but  they  gained  the  river  and 
got  aboard  their  boats. 

General  Grant  had  a  narrow  escape  in  regaining 
his  vessel.  He  was  the  last  to  arrive  at  the  river, 
and  the  plank  which  had  reached  to  the  top  of 
the  steep  bank  had  been  pulled  in.  It  was  im- 
possible to  restore  it  quickly.  Without  hesitation 
the  general  put  his  horse  over  the  bank,  and  the 
animal  slipped  down  to  the  water's  edge  on  his 
haunches.  The  plank  was  thrown  out  and  Gen- 
eral Grant  rode  aboard  the  boat. 

Although  the  Confederates  regarded  the  battle 
of  Belmont  as  a  victory,  since  the  Northern  force 
had  withdrawn,  General  Grant  in  reality  accom- 
plished all  he  set  out  to  do.  The  enemy  were 
prevented  from  sending  troops  from  Columbus 


PRELIMINARY  CONFLICTS  91 

to  reenforce  those  opposed  to  General  Fremont 
and  Colonel  Oglesby.  They  also  suffered  heavily 
in  killed  and  wounded,  and  had  many  tents  and 
much  camp  equipment  destroyed.  General  Grant 
captured  two  cannon,  spiked  four,  and  made  one 
hundred  and  seventy-five  prisoners.  His  loss  in 
killed,  wounded,  and  missing  was  four  hundred  and 
eighty-five ;  that  of  the  enemy  was  six  hundred 
and  forty-two. 

General  Grant  was  a  strict  disciplinarian,  but 
he  also  h'ked  a  joke.  The  following  story  shows 
how  skillfully  he  could  combine  a  joke  and  a  repri- 
mand :  — 

While  he  was  still  in  Missouri  he  led  an  expedi- 
tion against  Jeff  Thompson  in  northeast  Arkansas. 
His  advance  guard  was  under  a  certain  Lieutenant 
Wickfield,  of  an  Indiana  cavalry  regiment.  About 
noon  one  day  the  lieutenant  and  his  men  came 
upon  a  small  farmhouse.  With  two  junior  of- 
ficers, Wickfield  entered  the  house  and,  assuming 
a  commanding  air,  ordered  something  to  eat  "for 
himself  and  his  staff." 

"Who  are  you?"  asked  the  farmer's  wife. 

"Brigadier  General  Grant,"  said  the  lieutenant. 

The  best  that  the  house  afforded  was  spread  on 
the  table,  and  done  full  justice  to. 

Some  time  later  General   Grant   himself  came 


92  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

within  sight  of  the  farm.  Riding  up  to  the  fence 
in  front  of  the  house,  he  called  the  woman  to  the 
door,  and  asked  if  she  would  cook  him  a  meal. 

"No,"  replied  the  woman  gruffly.  "General 
Grant  and  his  staff  have  just  been  here,  and  eaten 
everything  in  the  house  except  one  pumpkin  pie." 

"  Humph  ! "  commented  General  Grant.  "  What 
is  your  name?" 

"Selvidge,"  replied  the  woman. 

Grant  drew  a  half  dollar  from  his  pocket  and 
tossed  it  to  her.  "Kindly  keep  that  pie  until  I 
send  an  officer  for  it,"  he  requested. 

That  evening,  after  the  troops  had  gone  into 
camp,  the  various  regiments  were  notified  that 
there  would  be  a  grand  parade  at  6.30  for  orders. 
Such  a  parade  was  unusual,  and  all  kinds  of  ex- 
citing rumors  began  flying  about. 

The  parade  was  formed,  and  the  acting  adjutant 
general  in  a  loud  voice  read  the  following  order : 

HEADQUARTERS,  ARMY  IN  THE  FIELD. 

Lieutenant  Wickfield,  of  the Indiana  cavalry,  having  on 

this  day  eaten  everything  in  Mrs.  Selvidge's  house,  at  the  cross- 
ing of  the  Ironton  and  Pocahontas  and  Black  river  and  Cape 
Girardeau  road,  except  one  pumpkin  pie,  Lieutenant  Wick- 
field  is  hereby  ordered  to  return  with  an  escort  of  one  hundred 
cavalry,  and  eat  the  pie  also. 

U.  S.  GRANT, 
Brigadier  General  Commanding. 


PRELIMINARY  CONFLICTS  93 

At  seven  o'clock  the  crestfallen  b'eutenant  passed 
out  of  the  camp  with  his  hundred  men,  to  the 
cheers  of  the  entire  army,  and  returned  to  the 
farmhouse  to  do  as  directed.  Needless  to  say  he 
did  not  again  pass  himself  off  as  "General  Grant." 


CHAPTER  X 
THE  CAPTURE  OF  FORT  DONELSON 

Two  days  after  the  battle  of  Belmont,  Major 
General  Halleck  was  appointed  to  succeed  General 
Fremont,  and  General  Grant's  district  was  en- 
larged to  take  in  the  mouths  of  the  Tennessee  and 
Cumberland  rivers. 

Up  to  this  time  little  had  been  accomplished 
anywhere  by  the  Union  armies.  Most  of  the 
higher  generals  appeared  content  to  let  matters 
drift  along.  General  Grant,  who  was  made  of 
different  stuff,  became  impatient.  He  visited 
General  Halleck  at  St.  Louis  and  asked  permission 
to  attack  Fort  Henry  and  Fort  Donelson,  im- 
portant points  on  the  Tennessee  and  Cumberland 
rivers.  General  Halleck's  reply  to  the  request 
was  a  curt  refusal.  General  Grant  was  much 
hurt.  But  he  could  not  give  up  the  idea  of  doing 
something.  He  consulted  Flag  Officer  Foote, 
commander  of  a  little  fleet  of  Union  gunboats 
in  the  river  at  Cairo.  Foote  agreed  with  Grant's 
plans,  and  Grant  wrote  to  General  Halleck,  again 

94 


THE  CAPTURE  OF  FORT  DONELSON       95 

asking  permission  to  attack  Fort  Henry.  This 
time  he  was  successful,  and  Halleck  told  him  to 
proceed  with  his  plan. 

The  expedition  left  Cairo  on  February  2,  1862. 
It  consisted  of  17,000  men  aboard  river  boats,  and 
seven  gunboats.  On  February  6  the  flotilla  was 
before  Fort  Henry.  The  gunboats  began  the 
attack  at  once.  So  effective  was  their  fire  that 
in  little  more  than  an  hour  the  fort  ceased  reply- 
ing, and  surrendered.  The  infantry  were  not 
needed. 

General  Grant  did  not  rest  with  this  success. 
He  immediately  prepared  to  attack  Fort  Donelson 
with  its  defending  army  of  21,000  men.  To  op- 
pose this  force  he  had  15,000  men  and  the  seven 
gunboats  under  Foote. 

The  gunboats  attacked  as  they  had  at  Fort 
Henry.  This  time  the  Confederate  batteries  were 
too  much  for  them.  Practically  every  boat  in 
the  fleet  was  disabled,  and  Flag  Officer  Foote  was 
severely  injured. 

Meanwhile  the  troops  ashore  were  having  an 
uncomfortable  time.  The  weather  was  bitterly 
cold,  and  the  men  were  without  tents.  Many  of 
them  were  without  overcoats  and  blankets.  Their 
belief  that  General  Grant  would  lead  them  to 
success  kept  them  up,  however;  and  further 


96  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

encouragement  came  when  they  were  joined  by 
10,000  fresh  troops,  with  a  needed  supply  of 
ammunition. 

Early  on  Saturday  morning,  February  15, 
General  Grant  was  returning  from  a  call  on  the 
wounded  commander  of  the  gunboats  when  he 
was  met  by  an  excited  messenger.  The  aide  re- 
ported that  the  Confederates  were  making  a  heavy 
attack  on  General  McClernand's  division,  on  the 
right  of  the  Union  line. 

General  Grant  reached  the  scene  about  nine 
o'clock  to  find  General  McClernand's  men  waver- 
ing after  an  onslaught  which  had  driven  them 
back  a  considerable  distance.  As  he  rode  along  the 
lines  he  overheard  one  soldier  saying  to  another, 
"They  have  come  out  to  fight  all  day.  Their 
knapsacks  are  full  of  grub." 

General  Grant  pulled  up  his  horse.  "  Bring 
me  one  of  those  knapsacks,"  he  requested. 

The  knapsacks  of  several  dead  Confederates 
were  brought  to  him.  He  opened  them.  Each 
one  contained  sufficient  food  for  three  days.  In  a 
moment  General  Grant  saw  the  true  meaning  of 
it.  The  enemy  were  prepared  for  a  three  days' 
march. 

Like  the  great  commander  he  was,  he  acted 
instantly.  He  turned  to  the  officers  of  his  staff 


THE  CAPTURE  OF  FORT  DONELSON       97 

and  explained,  "The  enemy  are  attempting  to 
force  their  way  out.  The  one  who  attacks  first 
now  will  be  victorious."  He  turned  to  Generals 
McClernand  and  Wallace,  who  commanded  the 
Union  troops  on  the  right  and  center  of  the  line. 
"  Gentlemen,  the  position  on  our  right  must  be 
retaken.  I  shall  order  an  immediate  assault  on 
the  left.  Be  ready  to  advance  at  the  sound  of 
Smith's  guns." 

As  General  Grant  hastened  on  down  the  line, 
an  aide  at  his  direction  called  out  to  the  men, 
"Fill  your  cartridge  boxes  quick  and  get  into 
line!  The  enemy  is  trying  to  escape!  We  must 
stop  him!" 

The  sharp  order  put  the  men  once  more  on  their 
mettle.  The  order  was  given  to  advance,  they 
responded  with  a  cheer,  and  after  desperate  fight- 
ing the  enemy  was  driven  back  to  their  former 
position  close  to  the  fort.  The  Confederates  had 
had  enough.  Next  morning  at  dawn  General 
Buckner,  the  Confederate  commander,  sent  a 
note  to  General  Grant  requesting  terms  of  sur- 
render. 

General  Grant's  reply  became  famous.  One 
of  its  businesslike  expressions  earned  for  the 
general  yet  another  popular  nickname — "  Uncon- 
ditional Surrender  "  Grant  It  read :  — 


98  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 


Reproduced,  fry  permission  ofD.  Appleton  &  Company,  from 
Frederic*  T.  Hill's  "On  the  Trail  of  Grant  and  Lee." 
Cowright,  1911,  bv  D.  Appleton  and  Company. 

The  Confederate  commander  surrendered  un- 
conditionally. From  twelve  to  fifteen  thousand 
men  were  made  prisoners,  and  20,000  rifles,  65 
cannon,  3000  horses,  and  large  quantities  of  stores 
were  taken. 

The  victory  at  Fort  Donelson,  following  so 
quickly  after  the  victory  at  Fort  Henry,  was  re- 
ceived throughout  the  country  with  the  greatest 


THE  CAPTURE  OF  FORT  DONELSON       99 

joy.  So  far  the  war  had  been  a  great  disappoint- 
ment to  the  people  of  the  North.  Nowhere  had 
the  Northern  armies  gained  any  important  success, 
and  gloom  had  fallen  upon  the  supporters  of  the 
Union.  The  capture  of  Fort  Donelson,  and  the 
large  number  of  prisoners  taken,  filled  every  one 
with  delight,  and  almost  in  a  day  General  Grant 
became  a  national  hero. 

An  interesting  incident  of  the  surrender  was  told 
long  afterward  by  the  Confederate  General  Buck- 
ner,  whom  Grant  had  known  at  West  Point.  "I 
had  at  a  previous  time  befriended  him,"  General 
Buckner  said,  referring  to  the  occasion  of  Grant's 
return  to  New  York,  penniless,  from  the  Pacific 
coast,  when  Buckner  lent  him  needed  money; 
"and  it  has  been  justly  said  that  he  never  forgot 
a  kindness.  I  met  him  on  the  boat,  and  he  fol- 
lowed me  when  I  went  to  my  quarters.  He  .  .  . 
followed  me,  with  that  modesty  peculiar  to  him, 
into  the  shadow,  and  there  he  tendered  me  his 
purse.  It  seems  to  me  that  in  the  modesty  of 
his  nature  he  was  afraid  the  light  would  witness 
that  act  of  generosity,  and  sought  to  hide  it  from 
the  world." 

The  victory  of  General  Grant  at  Fort  Donelson 
had  one  unfortunate  result  for  him.  It  made 
him  the  object  of  a  great  deal  of  envy.  General 


100  ULYSSES  S.   GRANT 

McClellan's  friends  claimed  the  honor  for  him, 
as  commander  in  chief;  Foote's  friends  claimed 
it  for  him,  as  a  naval  victory ;  Brigadier  General 
McClernand  claimed  he  had  borne  the  brunt  of 
the  fighting ;  and  Major  General  Halleck,  who  was 
next  in  rank  over  General  Grant,  thanked  every 
one  who  had  any  part  in  the  battle  except  Grant, 
and  then  claimed  chief  credit  for  himself. 

Secretary  of  War  Stanton  was  one  of  the  few 
to  place  the  credit  where  it  belonged.  In  a  letter 
to  Horace  Greeley,  editor  of  the  New  York  Tribune, 
he  wrote :  — 

"I  cannot  suffer  undue  merit  to  be  ascribed  to 
my  office  for  this  action.  The  glory  of  our  recent 
victories  belongs  to  the  brave  soldiers  that  fought 
the  battles.  No  share  belongs  to  me.  What, 
under  the  blessing  of  Providence,  I  consider  to  be 
the  true  organization  of  victory  and  military  com- 
bination to  end  the  war  was  declared  in  a  few 
words  by  General  Grant's  message  to  General 
Buckner :  '  I  propose  to  move  immediately  on  your 
works.'" 

While  all  this  heated  discussion  was  going  on, 
General  Grant  and  Commodore  Foote  were  ar- 
ranging details  for  an  immediate  advance  on 
Nashville.  Their  plans  were  interrupted  by  a 
telegram  from  General  Halleck  forbidding  Foote 


THE   CAPTURE  OF  FORT  DONELSON      101 

to  move  his  gunboats  above  Clarksville.  Grant 
read  the  message  hi  silence  and  passed  it  to  Foote. 
"That  ends  our  movement,"  said  Foote. 

General  Grant  then  made  a  trip  toward  Nash- 
ville to  confer  with  General  Buell.  Before  setting 
out,  he  telegraphed  General  Halleck  of  his  in- 
tention, unless  otherwise  ordered.  No  word  came 
in  reply,  and  he  proceeded.  General  Halleck 
seized  on  the  opportunity  to  discredit  General 
Grant.  He  reported  to  General  McClellan,  the 
commander  in  chief,  that  Grant  had  left  his  post 
without  permission.  "Satisfied  with  his  victory," 
he  wrote,  "he  sits  and  enjoys  it  without  regard  to 
the  future.  I  am  worn  out  and  tired  with  his 
neglect  and  inefficiency." 

On  the  2d  of  March,  General  Grant  was  ordered 
to  take  his  force  from  Fort  Donelson  to  Fort 
Henry,  for  an  expedition  up  the  Tennessee  River. 
On  reaching  Fort  Henry,  however,  he  found  a 
message  from  General  Halleck  which  practically 
placed  him  under  arrest. 

It  read :  — 

"You  will  place  Major  General  C.  F.  Smith 
in  command  and  remain  yourself  at  Fort  Henry. 
Why  do  you  not  obey  my  orders  to  report  strength 
and  positions  of  your  command  ?  " 

General  Grant  was  astounded.     It  was  the  first 


102  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

he  knew  of  General  Halleck  having  asked  for  the 
information  referred  to.  The  inquiry  had  not 
reached  him.  As  directed,  however,  he  turned 
his  command  over  to  General  Smith,  and  asked 
to  be  relieved  of  further  duty  under  General 
Halleck.  Fortunately,  Secretary  Stanton,  at 
Washington,  asked  General  Halleck  for  a  full 
explanation  of  his  charges  against  Grant.  Hal- 
leck could  not  support  them,  and  Grant  was 
accordingly  restored  to  his  command.  This  oc- 
curred on  the  i  yth  of  March. 

At  once  General  Grant  proceeded  up  the  Tennes- 
see River  to  rejoin  his  army.  He  made  his  head- 
quarters at  a  small  place  called  Savannah,  a  few 
miles  north  of  Pittsburg  Landing,  where  the 
army  had  been  located  by  General  Smith.  Pitts- 
burg  Landing,  which  lay  close  to  the  southern 
border  of  Tennessee,  was  merely  the  end  of  a 
road,  and  a  wharf  at  which  steamers  could  land. 
The  road  approached  the  river  through  a  ravine. 
The  army  had  been  landed  at  this  point  because 
of  its  nearness  to  Corinth,  on  the  northern  edge 
of  Mississippi,  where  a  strong  force  of  Confed- 
erates was  gathered. 

Grant  wished  to  advance  upon  Corinth  im- 
mediately, but  General  Halleck  ordered  him  to 
wait  at  the  Landing  until  General  Buell  should 


THE  CAPTURE  OF  FORT  DONELSON       103 

arrive  with  reinforcements  from  Kentucky.  Mean- 
while, the  Confederate  commander,  General  A.  S. 
Johnston,  who  had  learned  of  General  BuelPs 
approach,  laid  a  plan  to  "whip  Grant  before  Buell 
could  join  him,  and  then  whip  Buell." 

On  Sunday  morning,  April  6,  General  Grant 
was  having  breakfast  at  Savannah,  where  he  was 
expecting  a  meeting  with  General  Buell.  Sud- 
denly through  the  quiet  spring  air  came  a  low, 
jarring  sound.  A  few  moments  later  an  orderly 
appeared,  saluted,  and  said, 

"General,  there  is  terrific  firing  up  the  river." 

General  Grant  coolly  finished  his  breakfast. 
By  this  time  the  earth  seemed  to  shake  with  the 
roar  of  cannon  from  the  direction  of  Pittsburg 
Landing.  He  directed  an  orderly  to  take  the 
horses  of  his  staff  to  a  river  boat  that  was  waiting, 
and  wrote  a  note  which  he  left  for  Buell. 

A  few  days  before,  General  Grant's  horse  had 
slipped  on  a  log  and  crushed  the  general's  ankle. 
The  ankle  was  now  greatly  swollen  and  very 
painful.  With  the  aid  of  a  crutch,  General  Grant 
made  his  way  to  the  boat  and  started  up  the  river. 
At  Crump's  Landing  he  had  the  boat  stopped, 
and  ordered  General  Lew  Wallace,  who  was 
camped  there,  to  have  his  men  ready  to  march  at 
a  moment's  notice. 


104  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

They  continued,  and  the  thunder  of  cannon 
increased  to  a  roar.  As  Pittsburg  Landing  drew 
near,  General  Grant  hobbled  to  his  horse  and 
swung  himself  into  the  saddle.  They  reached 
the  wharf.  The  moment  the  gangplank  was 
down  General  Grant  spurred  his  horse  across, 
and  was  off  at  a  gallop! 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE  BATTLE  OF  SHILOH 

Two  or  three  miles  from  Pittsburg  Landing 
was  a  small  log  meetinghouse,  known  as  the 
Shiloh  church.  This  church  was  the  key  to  the 
Union  position,  and  from  it  the  battle  took  its 
name. 

The  fighting  had  started  very  early  that  morn- 
ing. At  three  o'clock  three  companies  of  Con- 
federate infantry  had  been  sent  out  from  the 
Southern  camp,  three  miles  away.  They  had 
met  the  Union  outposts  a  short  distance  in  front 
of  General  Sherman's  division,  at  Shiloh  church. 
The  Confederate  skirmishers  were  followed  by 
their  main  body,  and  a  terrific  attack  was  made. 
Both  General  Sherman  and  General  McClernand, 
in  command  of  the  Union  center,  had  been  forced 
to  give  way,  after  suffering  great  loss. 

When  General  Grant  arrived  on  the  scene, 
between  eight  and  nine  o'clock,  things  were  look- 
ing decidedly  black  for  the  Union  army.  Many 
of  the  troops,  who  had  never  before  heard  a  shot 
105 


io6  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

fired,  were  beginning  to  lose  their  nerve,  and  were 
falling  back  to  the  rear,  to  get  under  cover  of  the 
river  bank. 

General  Grant  rode  into  the  thick  of  the  fighting. 
He  encouraged  a  faltering  company  here,  he  gave 
orders  there,  he  helped  to  reform  stragglers,  and 
led  them  back  to  the  firing-line.  He  saw  that 
ammunition  was  sent  where  it  was  needed. 

Throughout  the  morning  he  was  everywhere. 
But  still  the  men  in  gray  fought  their  way  relent- 
lessly forward.  Ground  was  given,  retaken,  and 
given,  time  and  again.  Some  Union  regiments 
lost  all  formation.  They  were  mere  fighting 
mobs,  still  resisting  desperately,  but  brokenly. 

By  two  o'clock  General  Grant  began  to  expe- 
rience some  anxiety.  Neither  General  Buell  nor 
General  Wallace  had  arrived  with  their  reenforce- 
ments.  Staff  officers  were  sent  to  hurry  Wallace, 
and  found  that  he  had  taken  the  wrong  road  from 
Crump's  Landing,  and  was  now  farther  away  from 
the  scene  of  the  fighting  than  when  he  had  started. 
Still  the  frightful  din  of  rifles  and  cannon  con- 
tinued, and  still  the  recklessly-charging  Confed- 
erates drove  the  Union  lines  nearer  the  river. 

Late  in  the  day  General  Buell  arrived,  ahead  of 
his  men.  Having  approached  from  the  rear  and 
seen  a  considerable  body  of  stragglers  under  the 


THE  BATTLE  OF  SHILOH  107 

shelter  of  the  river  bank,  he  thought  the  day  was 
lost.  His  first  question  to  General  Grant  was, 

"What  preparations  have  you  made  for  re- 
treat?" 

General  Grant  was  not  yet  ready  to  consider 
himself  beaten,  however. 

"I  haven't  despaired  of  whipping  them  yet," 
he  replied. 

When  night  came,  the  Union  line  had  been 
crushed  back  close  to  the  river  bank.  The  ree'n- 
forcements  of  Wallace  and  Buell  had  arrived, 
but  too  late  to  be  of  assistance.  A  pouring 
rain  was  falling,  and  when  the  firing  ceased  the 
men  lay  down  where  they  had  fought,  to  get  what 
sleep  they  could  in  their  drenched  clothes. 

The  darkness  did  not  bring  rest  for  General 
Grant.  Although  suffering  greatly  from  his  crushed 
and  swollen  ankle,  as  well  as  from  fatigue,  he  set 
about  visiting  each  of  his  division  commanders, 
and  planning  the  resumption  of  the  battle  in  the 
morning.  He  directed  the  re-forming  of  the 
broken  Union  lines,  led  General  Wallace  and 
General  Buell  to  their  positions,  and  ordered  an 
attack  all  along  the  Union  front  at  daybreak. 

"Attack  with  a  heavy  skirmishing  line  as  soon  as 
it  is  light  enough  to  see,"  he  directed,  "then  follow 
up  with  your  entire  command,  leaving  no  reserves." 


108  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

By  midnight  he  had  completed  his  arrangements. 
Returning  to  the  Landing,  he  took  the  first  rest 
he  had  known  since  daybreak  of  the  previous  morn- 
ing. He  threw  himself  on  the  wet  ground  under 
a  tree.  The  rain  was  still  falling  heavily,  and 
toward  morning  he  became  so  chilled  that  he  rose 
and  hobbled  to  the  porch  of  a  log  hut.  The  house 
was  filled  with  wounded  men,  and  their  moans 
and  cries  so  affected  him  that  he  returned  to  the 
inadequate  shelter  of  the  tree. 

It  seemed  an  endless  night,  but  at  last  dawn 
broke.  He  was  lifted  into  his  saddle,  and  again 
hastened  off  along  the  lines.  To  one  of  his  aides 
he  gave  the  command:  "See  that  every  division 
moves  up  to  the  attack.  Press  the  enemy  hard 
the  minute  it  is  light  enough  to  see." 

Grant's  determination  and  confidence  had  worked 
a  wonderful  change  in  the  Union  troops  over  night. 
Notwithstanding  their  awful  experiences  of  the 
day  before,  the  remembrance  of  comrades  shot 
down  beside  them,  the  crashing  rifle-volleys  and 
the  screaming  shells,  the  men  sprang  again  to  the 
conflict.  The  Confederates  fought  back  bravely 
and  doggedly,  but  gradually  they  were  forced  to 
give  way,  just  as  they,  the  day  before,  had  forced 
back  the  Union  ranks. 

All  the  morning  and  on  into  the  afternoon  the 


THE  BATTLE  OF  SfflLOH  109 

desperate  charging  and  countercharging  kept  up. 
And  steadily  the  Union  lines  continued  their 
advance.  It  was  about  three  o'clock  when  the 
booming  of  the  enemy's  guns  on  the  left  began 
to  subside.  The  volleys  of  musketry  came  less 
frequently. 

General  Grant  saw  that  the  deciding  moment 
had  arrived.  He  gathered  together  two  regiments, 
and  himself  led  them  forward  toward  a  part  of  the 
Confederate  line  that  was  still  resisting.  When 
within  short  range  he  gave  the  command  to  charge. 
With  a  wild  cheer  from  the  men  the  line  of  glitter- 
ing bayonets  swept  forward,  the  enemy  broke  and 
ran,  and  the  great  battle  of  Shiloh  was  won. 

It  had  been  won  at  a  heavy  cost.  Nearly  two 
thousand  Union  men  lay  dead  in  the  fields  and 
among  the  trees,  8408  were  wounded,  and  2855 
were  missing.  The  Confederate  loss  is  not  ac- 
curately known,  but  it  could  not  have  been  less 
than  three  thousand  killed  and  a  great  many 
more  wounded  and  missing.  The  dead  included 
their  leader,  General  A.  S.  Johnston. 

General  Grant  was  blamed  because  of  the  heavy 
losses  of  the  Union  troops  in  the  battle  of  Shiloh. 
But  where  the  fighting  was  so  fiercely  determined 
on  both  sides,  it  could  not  well  have  been  avoided 
by  any  generalship.  Incidentally  the  heavy  losses 


no  ULYSSES  S.   GRANT 

proved  the  splendid  courage  of  the  troops  on  both 
sides.  It  meant  that  hundreds  of  men  who  never 
before  had  heard  a  shot  fired  in  battle,  for  two 
days  had  fought  and  struggled  like  veterans,  while 
friends  and  comrades  fell  all  around  them,  dead 
or  wounded. 

These  are  not  pleasant  details,  but  they  are 
facts  that  never  should  be  forgotten.  These 
fathers,  brothers,  and  husbands  paid  this  enormous 
price  that  our  country  might  be  what  it  is  to-day. 

The  battle  of  Shiloh  showed  General  Grant  to 
be  a  great  leader  of  men.  No  general  ever  faced 
a  more  discouraging  outlook  than  that  which  con- 
fronted him  at  the  end  of  the  first  day's  fighting. 
But  he  never  lost  his  head,  never  became  excited 
nor  discouraged.  During  the  hottest  moments  of 
the  battle  he  never  indulged  in  profanity,  but 
spoke  quietly  and  calmly.  It  was  this  quiet 
manner  that  inspired  his  men  with  such  confidence 
in  him. 

There  are  many  stories  told  of  the  battle  of 
Shiloh  —  or  the  battle  of  Pittsburg  Landing,  as 
it  is  also  called.  Most  of  them  are  sad. 

"On  that  peaceful  Sunday  morning,"  said  one 
survivor,  "I  had  walked  out  to  enjoy  the  fresh 
air,  and,  returning  by  my  friend  Lieutenant  D's 
tent,  I  called  on  him.  'Have  a  cup  of  coffee  with 


THE  BATTLE  OF  SHILOH  in 

me,'  he  invited,  'I  have  found  some  milk.' 
'Don't  care  if  I  do/  said  I.  'I  always  write 
home  on  Sunday  morning,  and  like  to  do  it  over 
a  good  cup  of  coffee.' 

"'I'm  going  to  write  my  little  wife,  too,'  said  D. 
'I  expect  to  resign  soon.  Don't  you  want  a  pair 
of  new  shoulder-straps  and  a  brand-new  pair  of 
gauntlets  ? ' 

"That  evening  D.  was  lying  dead  by  the  road- 
side at  the  Landing." 

Another  sad  incident  is  told  of  a  young  Con- 
federate boy-soldier.  Doubtless,  like  many  another 
boy-soldier  of  the  Civil  War,  he  had  left  home 
gayly,  expecting  to  return  covered  with  glory,  to 
tell  of  all  kinds  of  fine  adventures.  Two  days 
after  the  battle,  General  Rousseau  entered  a  hos- 
pital tent  filled  with  Confederate  wounded.  A 
boyish  voice  called  his  name,  "General!  General 
Rousseau!" 

He  turned  to  discover  a  handsome  lad  of  about 
sixteen  lying  on  the  bare,  hard  ground.  The  boy 
had  been  shot  through  the  lungs,  and  was  breath- 
ing with  great  difficulty. 

"General,  I  knew  your  son  Dickey.  Where  is 
he?"  said  the  boy  hoarsely. 

General  Rousseau  knelt  by  the  lad's  side. 
"Who  are  you,  my  son?"  he  asked. 


1J2  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

"I  am  Eddie  McFadden,  from  Louisville.  I 
knew  you,  General.  I  knew  your  son  Dick  well. 
I  used  to  play  with  him." 

General  Rousseau  was  greatly  affected.  In  his 
mind's  eye  he  could  see  his  own  boy  lying  there, 
like  this  lad,  his  playmate.  He  did  what  he  could 
for  the  wounded  boy,  and  as  no  blankets  were  to 
be  had,  he  sent  him  his  own  saddle-blanket  to  lie 
upon.  The  blanket  was  not  needed  long,  for  the 
little  Confederate  soon  joined  the  many  who  went 
into  the  Great  Beyond  from  that  blood-stained 
field. 


CHAPTER  XII 
THE  OCCUPATION  OF  CORINTH 

GENERAL  GRANT'S  splendid  victory  at  Shiloh 
aroused  more  jealousy.  Brigadier  General  Mc- 
Clernand  wrote  President  Lincoln  claiming  chief 
credit,  Brigadier  General  Buell  declared  he  had 
saved  the  Union  army  from  flight,  and  General 
Halleck,  in  a  message  to  the  secretary  of  war, 
gave  the  credit  to  General  Sherman. 

The  old  stories  of  Grant's  fondness  for  liquor 
were  revived  by  his  enemies,  and  it  was  even  de- 
clared he  had  been  under  the  influence  of  intoxicants 
during  the  battle.  This,  of  course,  was  absolutely 
untrue,  but  so  much  was  made  of  it  that  President 
Lincoln  was  asked  to  remove  General  Grant  from 
duty.  The  President  was  wiser  than  his  advisers. 
He  did  not  allow  himself  to  forget  that  no  other 
general,  either  in  the  east  or  the  west,  had  shown 
so  much  energy  and  such  results.  So  he  replied, 

"I  can't  spare  Grant;   he  fights." 

General  Halleck,  however,  practically  removed 
Grant  for  a  time.  He  himself  proceeded  to  Pitts- 
i  113 


H4  ULYSSES  S.   GRANT 

burg  Landing,  and  as  General  Grant's  superior  in 
rank,  took  over  the  command  of  Grant's  army. 

After  the  battle  of  Shiloh  the  Confederates  re- 
tired to  Corinth.  There,  under  General  Beaure- 
gard,  they  fortified  themselves,  and  received  ree'n- 
forcements  that  raised  their  numbers  to  70,000 
men. 

Against  this  force  General  Halleck  called  for 
Union  reinforcements  until  he  had  a  grand  total 
of  120,000  men.  The  command  included  the  Army 
of  the  Ohio,  under  General  Bell ;  the  Army  of  the 
Mississippi,  under  General  Pope,  and  the  Army  of 
the  Tennessee,  which  General  Grant  was  supposed 
to  lead. 

With  such  a  splendid  force  at  his  command,  the 
country  looked  to  General  Halleck  to  accomplish 
great  things.  There  was  no  reason  why  he  should 
not. 

But  he  made  no  forward  move.  Day  after  day 
passed,  and  he  held  his  great  force  idle  behind  earth- 
work defenses,  as  though  afraid  to  venture  out. 
Meanwhile,  General  Grant  was  little  more  than  a 
spectator.  Halleck  ignored  him  and  consulted 
other  junior  generals  when  he  wished  advice.  Sug- 
gestions that  General  Grant  offered  were  treated 
with  contempt. 

At  last  the  situation   became   unbearable,  and 


THE  OCCUPATION  OF   CORINTH  115 

General  Grant  asked  to  be  relieved  of  duty.  Gen- 
eral Sherman,  who  was  a  true  friend  and  admirer 
of  Grant,  heard  of  it.  He  hastily  found  Grant,  and 
after  much  argument  persuaded  him  to  remain. 

It  was  on  the  3oth  of  April  when  General  Halleck 
began  to  move  his  army  forward  toward  the  Con- 
federate position  at  Corinth.  He  proceeded  at  a 
snail's  pace. 

It  is  scarcely  twenty  miles  from  Pittsburg  Land- 
ing to  Corinth.  Before  the  battle  of  Shiloh  General 
Johnston  had  marched  the  Confederate  army  over 
the  same  distance  in  two  days.  General  Grant  be- 
lieved he  could  have  attacked  Corinth  within  the 
same  time.  General  Halleck  wasted  a  month. 

His  plan  was  to  move  a  section  of  his  army  a 
short  distance,  then  cause  it  to  halt  and  intrench ; 
another  section  would  move  forward  and  intrench, 
and  so  on.  His  orders  to  his  division  commanders 
were  to  avoid  bringing  on  a  general  engagement. 
If  necessary  to  prevent  a  serious  fight,  they  were 
to  fall  back. 

Small  encounters  with  Confederate  outposts  oc- 
curred, but  because  of  the  orders  given,  no  general 
battle  resulted.  And  on  the  28th  of  May  reports 
came  in  that  the  enemy  had  been  evacuating  Cor- 
inth for  several  days.  Railroad  men  in  the  Union 
ranks  said  they  could  tell,  by  placing  their  ear 


n6  ULYSSES  S.   GRANT 

to  the  rails,  which  way  trains  were  running,  and 
whether  they  were  loaded  or  empty ;  and  they  de- 
clared that  loaded  trains  had  been  running  out  of 
Corinth  for  some  time. 

General  Halleck  refused  to  believe  it,  and  con- 
tinued to  "edge  along." 

At  length  the  Union  army  arrived  before  the  town. 
The  advance  parties  entered  and  found  it  deserted  ! 

Not  only  had  the  Confederates  disappeared  with 
their  entire  force,  including  their  sick  and  wounded, 
but  they  had  carried  away  all  their  supplies,  and 
left  only  some  imitation  wooden  guns  pointing  over 
the  empty  earthworks. 

The  whole  Union  army  was  amused  and  dis- 
gusted. It  was  thus  that  General  Halleck  proved 
his  "  superiority  "  over  General  Grant. 

The  occupation  of  Corinth  was  of  importance, 
but  the  escape  of  the  entire  Confederate  force  was 
regarded  as  a  Union  failure.  It  is  certain  that  the 
story  would  have  been  different  had  Grant  been 
in  command. 

After  the  occupation  of  Corinth,  General  Halleck 
continued  his  "safe"  tactics.  Instead  of  ener- 
getically following  the  retreating  garrison,  he  sent 
a  column  in  pursuit  for  some  thirty  miles,  then  re- 
called it,  and  began  constructing  a  great  system  of 
forts  and  rifle  pits. 


THE  OCCUPATION  OF  CORINTH          117 

Meantime  he  continued  to  make  General  Grant's 
position  as  unpleasant  as  possible.  Grant  bore  it 
a  little  longer,  then  asked  permission  to  transfer 
his  headquarters  to  Memphis.  The  permission 
was  granted,  and  he  at  once  left  Corinth,  accom- 
panied only  by  his  personal  staff  and  a  small  cavalry 
escort. 

On  the  way  to  Memphis  the  party  had  a  narrow 
escape  from  capture.  Bodies  of  Confederate  cav- 
alry roamed  the  country,  and  one  of  these,  under 
General  Jackson,  pursued  General  Grant  to  a  cer- 
tain crossroad.  There  the  Confederates  decided 
that  their  horses,  not  being  as  fresh  as  those  of 
Grant's  party,  could  not  catch  them,  and  so  turned 
back.  Had  they  gone  but  a  short  distance  farther 
they  would  have  found  the  General  and  his  compan- 
ions resting  by  the  roadside,  quite  unconscious 
of  their  danger. 

General  Grant  had  not  been  long  in  Memphis 
when  fortune  once  more  turned  his  way.  On  the 
loth  of  July  General  Halleck  was  ordered  to  turn 
his  command  over  to  the  next  in  rank,  and  to  pro- 
ceed to  Washington.  As  his  next  in  rank  was  Gen- 
eral Grant,  there  was  nothing  for  General  Halleck 
to  do  but  recall  General  Grant  from  Memphis. 
And  this  he  did. 

Grant  felt  as  though  a  cloud  had  lifted.     He 


Ii8  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

was  himself  again.  But  on  returning  to  Corinth, 
he  found  that  Halleck  had  scattered  the  once  great 
army  of  120,000,  and  had  left  him  with  only  50,000 
troops  to  cover  the  hundred-mile  line  extending 
from  Corinth  to  Memphis. 

About  the  middle  of  September  the  Confederate 
generals,  Price  and  Van  Dorn,  began  a  movement 
to  attack  and  defeat  Grant,  or  to  pass  him  by 
and  reenforce  the  Confederate  General  Bragg, 
in  his  campaign  in  Kentucky  against  Buell,  who 
had  left  Corinth  on  June  10  to  march  upon 
Chattanooga. 

Grant  heard  of  this  move  and  immediately  began 
to  make  some  plans  himself.  He  directed  Generals 
Rosecrans  and  Ord,  who  between  them  had  some 
17,000  men,  to  attack  the  Confederates  under 
General  Price  at  luka,  twenty-two  miles  south- 
west of  Corinth,  on  the  Memphis  and  Charleston 
railroad.  On  the  i8th  of  September  General 
Ord  moved  to  Burnsville  by  rail,  seven  miles  from 
luka,  and  there  left  the  cars  and  continued  afoot. 
General  Rosecrans  was  to  join  General  Ord  the 
following  day,  coming  from  Rienzi,  southwest  of 
luka. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  of  the  iQth  General  Rose- 
crans was  himself  attacked  by  the  Confederates, 
and  brought  to  a  halt,  with  the  loss  of  several  guns. 


THE  OCCUPATION  OF  CORINTH  119 

A  strong  wind  was  blowing  from  the  north,  and  pre- 
vented the  sound  of  the  firing  from  reaching  Gen- 
eral Ord.  Consequently  it  was  late  when  a  courier 
reached  Grant  with  the  news.  Grant  directed  Gen- 
eral Ord  to  attack  luka  early  in  the  morning  with- 
out waiting  for  Rosecrans.  General  Ord  advanced 
to  do  so  and  found  luka  deserted.  The  hold-up 
of  General  Rosecrans  had  given  the  enemy  time  to 
escape. 

The  next  move  of  consequence  was  an  attempt  of 
the  Confederates  to  recapture  Corinth.  General 
Grant  was  at  Jackson  when  word  of  their  intention 
reached  him.  General  Rosecrans  was  in  command 
at  Corinth.  Grant  ordered  Generals  McPherson 
and  Hurlbut,  who  were  at  Jackson  and  Bolivar 
with  their  divisions,  to  go  to  Rosecrans'  assistance. 
Before  they  arrived,  the  Confederate  general,  Van 
Dorn,  made  a  dashing  attack  on  the  town,  hoping 
to  capture  it  before  help  came.  The  fighting  was 
desperate.  The  Southerners  were  beaten  back, 
but  pluckily  charged  again  and  again,  and  at  one 
point  forced  their  way  inside  the  fortifications. 
After  a  terrific  struggle  they  were  driven  out.  The 
Union  reinforcements  then  arrived,  and  the  at- 
tackers were  compelled  to  retire. 

While  Grant  was  not  present  at  the  battle  of 
Corinth,  it  was  largely  due  to  the  system  of  earth- 


120  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

works  and  rifle  pits  planned  by  him  that  the  town 
escaped  capture.  The  determination  and  courage 
of  the  Confederate  assault  is  indicated  by  their 
heavy  loss  of  1423  men  in  killed.  The  defenders, 
fighting  from  their  breastworks,  lost  315  men  killed 
and  1812  wounded. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

VlCKSBURG 

ON  the  25th  of  October,  1862,  General  Grant 
was  given  command  of  the  Department  of  the 
Tennessee.  At  once  he  began  planning  for  the  cap- 
ture of  Vicksburg. 

Until  December  20  the  campaign  proceeded  suc- 
cessfully. Then  came  a  mishap.  An  important 
supply  depot  at  Holly  Springs  was  captured  by 
the  enemy,  and  a  great  quantity  of  food,  forage, 
and  ammunition  was  destroyed.  The  loss  was 
serious.  It  meant  that  two  months'  work  was 
practically  thrown  away,  and  that  the  move  on 
Vicksburg  must  be  abandoned  for  another  month 
or  so,  until  more  supplies  could  be  brought  down 
from  the  north. 

Grant's  manner  on  receiving  the  news  offers 
a  fine  example  of  self-control.  Captain  Charles 
Eaton,  who  was  with  him  at  the  time,  told  of  the 
incident : 

"My  personal  business  with  the  General  was 
finished,  and  I  was  sitting  beside  him  in  the  front 


122  ULYSSES  S.   GRANT 

door  of  the  house  in  which  his  headquarters  were 
located,  when  an  early  morning  telegram  was 
brought  him  giving  confirmation  of  the  Holly 
Springs  disaster,  of  the  night  before. 

"Much  as  it  meant  to  him  —  the  reversal  of  all 
his  plans  for  the  movement  on  Vicksburg  —  there 
was  on  his  face  no  sign  of  disturbance  that  I  could 
see,  save  a  slight  twitching  of  the  mustache.  He 
told  me  very  quietly  and  dispassionately  that  the 
night  before  he  telegraphed  Colonel  Murphy  (who 
was  in  command  at  Holly  Springs),  warning  him 
of  Van  Dora's  approach,  and  directing  him  to  be 
on  guard.  .  .  .  The  loss  of  the  supplies  was  then 
considered  a  great  blow  to  the  army,  and  necessi- 
tated an  immediate  withdrawal  and  reorganization 
of  all  General  Grant's  plans.  ...  In  the  midst  of 
this  disturbance  he  was  ready  as  always  to  listen  to 
what  I  had  to  say  concerning  the  work  assigned 
me." 

Because  of  the  setback  it  was  nearly  March, 
1863,  when  General  Grant's  campaign  against 
Vicksburg  actually  began. 

Vicksburg  was  frequently  spoken  of  as  the  Gi- 
braltar of  the  South.  It  occupied  a  ridge  of  high 
land  which  looked  down  upon  the  wide  sweep  of  the 
great  Mississippi,  and  its  long  line  of  forts  com- 
manded an  S-shaped  bend  of  the  river  so  that 


VICKSBURG  123 

vessels  coming  from  the  north  must  twice  pass 
within  range  of  every  gun. 

As  Grant  was  on  the  west  side  of  the  stream,  his 
first  problem  was  to  cross  with  his  40,000  men, 
guns,  wagons,  and  supplies  to  the  Vicksburg  side. 
He  had  the  vessels,  but  the  difficulty  was  first  to 
reach  the  actual  river  bank  through  the  wide  swamps 
that  bordered  it,  and  next,  to  find  a  landing-place 
on  the  eastern  shore.  He  sent  expeditions  to  look 
for  landing-places  by  way  of  the  Yazoo  River  and 
the  creeks  and  bayous  northeast  of  the  city.  These 
failed,  after  great  hardships.  The  only  plan  left 
was  to  move  the  fleet  of  Union  boats  below  Vicks- 
burg, and  find  landing-places  to  the  south. 

An  attempt  was  first  made  to  dig  a  canal  across 
the  "S"  in  the  river  opposite  the  town.  It  was 
hoped  that  the  river  would  turn  into  this  new  chan- 
nel and  cut  it  out  deep  enough  to  allow  vessels 
to  pass  through.  Then  the  fleet  could  have  passed 
below  Vicksburg  without  coming  under  the  fire  of 
all  its  forts.  But  the  river  rose  so  high  from  the 
heavy  rains  that  it  spread  out  over  the  flats,  and 
began  to  fill  up  the  canal  instead  of  deepening  it. 

There  was  then  nothing  for  the  Union  fleet  to  do 
but  run  past  the  forts  on  some  dark  night. 

On  the  1 5th  of  April  General  Grant  asked  Ad- 
miral Porter  if  he  was  ready  to  run  the  blockade. 


124  ULYSSES  S.   GRANT 

"I  will  be  ready  to-morrow  night,"  replied  the 
admiral. 

The  attempt  was  considered  most  dangerous, 
and  General  Grant  called  only  for  volunteers  to 
man  the  transports.  So  many  presented  them- 
selves that  several  additional  vessels  might  have 
been  manned.  One  volunteer  was  offered  a  hun- 
dred dollars  for  his  chance  to  go,  and  refused  to 
accept  it.  These  were  no  fair-weather  and  parade- 
day  soldiers! 

The  fleet  was  made  up  of  eight  gunboats  and  three 
transports  carrying  soldiers  and  provisions,  each 
towing  a  barge  with  supplies. 

At  about  ten  o'clock  at  night  on  April  16  the 
flagship  Benton,  with  all  lights  out,  started  drifting 
down  the  stream.  At  twenty-minute  intervals 
she  was  followed  by  the  Lafayette,  the  Price,  the 
Louisville,  Mound  City,  Pittsburgh,  and  Carondelet. 
Then  came  the  transports  Forest  Queen,  Silver  Wave, 
and  Henry  Clay,  with  their  barges.  The  gunboat 
Tuscumbia  brought  up  the  rear. 

There  was  a  grand  ball  at  Vicksburg  that  night, 
and  Admiral  Porter  thought  the  sentries  at  the 
forts  would  not  be  so  vigilant.  For  a  time  it  looked 
as  if  he  had  guessed  correctly.  Like  ghost  vessels 
the  fleet  slipped  down  the  river,  and  not  a  sound 
broke  the  stillness. 


VICKSBURG  125 

But  suddenly,  just  as  the  Benton  neared  the  first 
bend  in  the  "S,"  there  was  a  flare  of  light  on  the 
levee.  It  flamed  up  into  the  blaze  of  a  bonfire, 
and  in  a  moment  there  came  a  crash  of  guns  from 
one  of  the  forts.  Other  fires  burst  out,  other  forts 
joined  in,  and  quickly  the  roaring  and  crashing  was 
deafening. 

It  was  a  wonderful  and  terrific  spectacle.  It 
seemed  as  if  every  boat  must  be  sunk.  They  were 
struck  repeatedly.  But  they  kept  on,  and  when 
the  gunboats  came  opposite  the  city,  they  threw 
open  their  ports  and  began  replying  with  grape 
and  shrapnel. 

For  more  than  two  hours  the  vessels  were  under 
the  fire  of  the  forts.  At  last  they  drew  out  of 
range,  and  it  was  found  that  only  one  of  the  fleet 
had  been  lost.  The  transport  Henry  Clay  had  been 
set  on  fire  and  burned  to  the  water's  edge.  Surpris- 
ing to  relate,  not  a  single  life  was  lost,  and  only  a 
few  men  were  wounded. 

General  Grant  now  had  two  transports  with  which 
to  ferry  his  troops  to  the  eastern  shore  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi. Time  was  important,  however,  and  he 
decided  to  run  a  second  flotilla  down  past  the 
Vicksburg  batteries.  The  attempt  was  made  on 
the  night  of  April  22,  and  was  also  successful, 
although  another  steamboat  and  five  barges  were 


126  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

lost.  Five  transports  and  seven  barges  with  sup- 
plies succeeded  in  coming  through. 

Grant  now  had  the  vessels  to  ferry  his  army  to 
the  eastern  side  of  the  Mississippi.  It  was  first 
necessary  to  find  a  landing-place.  A  search  by 
small  boats  proved  unsuccessful.  General  Grant 
then  called  upon  the  gunboats  to  attack  the  forti- 
fications at  Grand  Gulf,  some  miles  south  of  Vicks- 
burg,  in  the  hope  of  capturing  this  point  as  a  land- 
ing-place. The  attack  failed. 

General  Grant  was  still  undiscouraged.  He  di- 
rected the  fleet  to  "run"  the  forts  at  Grand  Gulf, 
just  as  they  had  "run"  the  forts  at  Vicksburg. 
The  vessels  accomplished  the  feat  with  but  little 
damage,  and  finally,  on  the  3oth  of  April,  a  landing 
was  made  at  Bayou  Pierre,  and  20,000  men  put 
ashore. 

The  next  day  the  Union  army  met  a  Con- 
federate force  sent  out  from  Vicksburg,  and  de- 
feated it  after  a  fight  which  lasted  till  nightfall. 
This  was  the  battle  of  Port  Gibson.  When  the 
Confederates  were  driven  back,  they  also  retreated 
from  Grand  Gulf,  and  that  place  fell  into  General 
Grant's  hands. 

On  the  8th  of  May  General  Sherman  arrived  with 
reinforcements  which  increased  Grant's  army  to 
32,000  men.  It  was  with  this  force  that  General 


VICKSBURG  127 

Grant  set  out  on  one  of  the  most  daring  campaigns 
on  record. 

He  planned  to  rout  or  drive  into  Vicksburg  two 
armies,  one  of  50,000  men  under  General  Pember- 
ton,  and  another  whose  numbers  he  did  not  know, 
which  was  assembling  under  General  Johnston, 
fifty  miles  to  the  northeast,  at  Jackson,  the  state 
capital.  And  to  accomplish  the  task  his  troops 
were  to  carry  only  three  days'  rations,  so  that  they 
might  travel  more  rapidly,  and  not  be  held  back  by 
slow-moving  supply-wagons. 

On  the  nth  of  May  General  Grant  left  Grand 
Gulf  and  marched  rapidly  toward  Jackson.  On 
the  1 2th,  at  Raymond,  he  met  and  defeated  a  force 
sent  out  to  obstruct  his  progress. 

Meanwhile,  General  Pemberton  had  come  out 
from  Vicksburg  to  attack  the  Union  army  in  the 
rear.  General  Grant  paid  no  attention  to  this 
force,  but  hurried  eastward  to  attack  Johnston 
before  Johnston  was  fully  ready  for  him.  He 
was  successful,  and  on  the  i4th  he  attacked  and 
drove  the  Confederates  in  flight  from  Jackson, 
and  occupied  the  town.  Large  quantities  of 
military  stores  were  captured.  Such  of  these  as 
were  not  wanted  were  burned,  and  the  railroad 
was  destroyed. 

On  the  same  day  General  Grant  turned  part  of 


128  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

his  army  back  westward,  toward  General  Pember- 
ton's  army  and  Vicksburg.  On  the  next  day,  the 
1 5th,  he  captured  a  dispatch  from  Johnston  direct- 
ing Pemberton  to  attack  the  Union  army  on  the 
west,  while  Johnston  himself  advanced  again  from 
the  north. 

General  Grant  was  not  to  be  caught  in  such  a 
trap.  He  hurried  his  whole  force  west,  and  came 
up  with  Pemberton  before  Johnston  had  got  in 
touch  with  him.  The  encounter  took  place  at 
Champion's  Hill,  on  the  i6th,  and  was  the  most 
desperately  fought  battle  of  the  campaign.  It 
lasted  all  day,  but  the  Confederates  finally  gave 
way  and  were  pursued  until  after  dark.  Their 
losses  were  very  heavy ;  3000  killed  and  wounded, 
3000  prisoners,  and  30  cannon.  The  Union  losses 
were  410  killed,  1844  wounded,  and  187  missing. 

As  usual,  General  Grant  was  in  the  midst  of  the 
fighting,  apparently  unconscious  of  being  in  any 
danger.  One  of  the  men  in  the  ranks1  related 
this  incident  of  the  battle,  showing  the  general's 
coolness  and  courage :  — 

"We  were  standing  two  files  deep,  bearing  as 
patiently  as  we  could  a  heavy  and  steady  fire  from 
infantry,  while  an  occasional  cannon-ball  tore  up 
the  earth  in  our  front. 

'Byers. 


VICKSBURG  129 

"'Colonel,  move  your  men  a  little  by  the  left 
flank,'  said  a  quiet  though  commanding  voice.  On 
looking  round  I  saw  Grant  immediately  behind  us. 
He  was  mounted  on  a  beautiful  gray  mare,  and 
followed  by  several  of  his  staff.  For  some  reason 
he  dismounted,  and  most  of  his  officers  were  sent 
to  other  parts  of  the  field. 

"Here  was  Grant  under  fire.  He  stood  leaning 
quietly  against  his  horse.  .  .  .  His  was  the  only 
horse  near  the  line,  and  must  naturally  have  at- 
tracted the  enemy's  fire.  'What  if  he  should  be 
killed?'  I  thought  to  myself.  In  front  of  us  was 
the  enemy,  behind  us  and  about  us,  and  liable  to 
overcome  and  crush  us  at  any  moment  .  .  .  yet 
there  he  remained,  clear,  calm,  and  immovable." 

General  Pemberton,  after  his  defeat  at  Cham- 
pion's Hill,  fell  back  to  the  Big  Black  River,  ten 
miles  from  Vicksburg.  There,  the  next  day,  was 
fought  the  battle  of  the  Big  Black,  as  it  was  called. 
Once  again  Grant  won,  capturing  18  cannon  and 
1800  prisoners ;  and  General  Pemberton  retreated 
within  the  fortifications  of  Vicksburg. 

The  preliminary  campaign  which  had  thus  ended 
was  one  of  the  greatest  in  military  history.  In  a 
little  over  two  weeks  General  Grant  had  marched 
his  army  two  hundred  miles,  had  fought  and  won 
five  battles,  defeating  two  separate  armies,  each 


130  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

larger  than  his  own;  had  captured  88  cannon, 
taken  6000  prisoners,  seized  a  state  capital,  and 
destroyed  thirty  miles  of  important  railroad.  In 
doing  all  this  he  had  lost  only  4335  men  in  killed, 
wounded,  and  missing,  which  was  less  than  the 
enemy  had  lost  in  killed  alone.  The  great  Napoleon 
himself  never  planned  and  carried  out  a  cam- 
paign with  more  complete  success. 

Now  that  he  was  before  Vicksburg,  General 
Grant's  energy  did  not  slacken.  Two  days  after 
the  battle  of  the  Big  Black  he  had  replaced  the 
bridge  destroyed  by  the  retreating  enemy.  He 
crossed  over  with  part  of  his  army,  and  advancing 
on  the  city,  made  a  preliminary  assault.  On  the 
22d  of  May  he  ordered  a  grand  assault  along  the 
whole  long  line  of  the  Confederate  defenses.  The 
particular  reason  for  this  attack  was  the  news  that 
the  Confederate  General  Johnston  was  approach- 
ing, fifty  miles  to  the  eastward.  If  General  Grant 
were  able  to  rush  the  city  and  capture  it  imme- 
diately, he  would  then  be  able  to  turn  and  meet 
Johnston  with  a  strong  force.  His  men  also  were 
eager  to  make  the  attack.  They  believed  they 
could  storm  the  Confederate  works  and  carry 
them  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet. 

The  defenses  of  Vicksburg  on  this,  the  land  side, 
followed  a  number  of  high  ridges  in  a  great  half- 


VICKSBURG  131 

circle  seven  miles  long.  The  ridges  lay  about  two 
miles  from  the  city  proper. 

To  reach  these  earthworks,  the  Northern  troops 
were  obliged  to  descend  into  hollows  and  valleys, 
and  charge  up  steep  slopes  through  canebrake  and 
a  network  of  fallen  trees. 

The  assault  was  begun  at  ten  in  the  morning  along 
the  whole  line.  The  reply  from  the  defenders  was 
a  terrific  fire  of  musketry  and  artillery.  Bravely, 
though  with  terrible  losses,  the  Union  men  struggled 
up  the  slopes.  Again  and  again  they  were  forced 
to  fall  back  in  order  to  re-form  their  ranks.  Again 
and  again  they  charged.  Here  and  there  small 
parties  succeeded  in  reaching  the  base  of  the  para- 
pets. They  got  no  farther,  and  at  nightfall  they 
retired,  without  having  taken  a  single  redoubt. 

The  failure  showed  that  Vicksburg  could  be  taken 
only  by  a  siege. 

General  Grant  tackled  this  problem  as  energeti- 
cally as  he  had  all  others.  He  first  directed  the 
placing  of  the  artillery  in  batteries  at  points  from 
which  they  could  do  the  most  effective  work. 
There  were  two  hundred  and  twenty  guns  in  all, 
although  none  were  of  large  size.  The  guns  opened 
fire,  and  under  cover  of  the  bombardment,  the 
engineers  and  sappers,  or  trench-diggers,  went  for- 
ward to  within  six  hundred  yards  of  the  outer 


132  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

Confederate  defenses,  and  began  digging  trenches 
and  rifle  pits  and  throwing  up  breastworks. 

The  first  line  of  Union  earthworks  was  nearly 
fifteen  miles  in  length.  When  it  was  completed,  the 
next  stage  of  the  operations  began  —  the  digging  of 
"advancing"  trenches,  or  "saps."  These  were 
trenches  dug  forward  in  zigzags,  first  in  one  direc- 
tion, and  then  in  another,  in  such  a  way  that  the 
enemy  could  not  fire  directly  into  them.  Tunnels 
also  were  dug,  sometimes  for  long  distances. 

For  more  than  a  month  the  digging  operations 
continued,  the  fighting  being  left  to  the  artillery 
and  the  sharpshooters  posted  along  the  finished 
trenches. 

In  places  the  advancing  trenches  were  at  last 
carried  so  near  to  the  enemy's  works  that  Union 
and  Confederate  soldiers  could  converse  with  one 
another.  Occasionally  the  Union  soldiers  would 
exchange  bread  for  Confederate  tobacco.  At  other 
times  the  enemy  would  throw  hand-grenades,  or 
bombs,  which  the  Union  men  would  sometimes  catch 
in  their  hands,  like  baseballs,  and  throw  back. 

During  the  second  month  of  the  siege,  a  tunnel 
was  started  from  one  of  the  most  advanced  of  the 
Union  trenches.  By  the  2$th  of  June  it  had  been 
carried  beneath  the  opposite  Confederate  works, 
and  preparations  were  made  to  mine  and  explode 


VICKSBURG  133 

it.  When  all  was  ready,  an  assaulting  party  was 
brought  forward,  and  the  mine  was  fired. 

There  was  a  terrific,  muffled  roar,  and  the  whole 
crest  of  the  ridge  went  into  the  air.  When  the 
cloud  of  smoke  and  earth  had  settled,  a  deep, 
wide  hole  was  left.  With  a  cheer  the  waiting  troops 
charged  through  the  breach.  A  short  distance 
within  they  were  brought  to  a  halt.  The  Con- 
federates had  discovered  the  digging  of  the  tunnel, 
and  had  prepared  a  second  line  of  defenses.  The 
attacking  party  held  their  ground  valiantly,  but 
were  unable  to  push  ahead,  and  when  darkness 
came  they  were  ordered  to  fall  back. 

A  negro  who  went  through  the  explosion  had  a 
remarkable  experience.  He  was  working  under- 
ground in  a  tunnel  the  Confederates  were  digging 
near  the  Union  tunnel.  When  the  explosion  came, 
he  was  thrown  up  to  the  surface,  high  in  the  air, 
and  fell  among  a  group  of  Union  soldiers.  He  was 
not  much  hurt,  but  terribly  frightened. 

"How  high  up  did  you  go,  Sam?"  asked  one  of 
the  men. 

"Ah  dunno,  Massa,"  replied  the  shaking  negro, 
"but  Ah  t'ink  'bout  free  miles!" 

As  the  first  mine  had  failed  to  open  a  way  through 
the  enemy's  defenses,  a  second  tunnel  was  started. 
It  was  fired,  and  resulted  in  the  complete  destruc- 


134  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

tion  of  a  Confederate  redoubt.  This  time  no  as- 
sault was  made.  General  Grant  had  determined 
not  to  attack  until  several  mines  had  been  prepared, 
so  that  assaults  could  be  made  at  several  points 
simultaneously. 

On  the  ist  of  July  the  mines  were  ready  for  firing. 
The  word  passed  along  the  Union  lines  that  a  grand 
assault  was  to  be  made  as  a  celebration  on  the 
Fourth.  But  happily  this  was  not  to  be  necessary. 

At  ten  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  July  3,  white 
flags  were  shown  along  the  Confederate  defenses, 
and  two  officers  appeared,  bearing  a  flag  of  truce. 
They  were  escorted  to  General  Grant,  and  handed 
him  a  letter  from  General  Pemberton,  the  Confed- 
erate commander,  asking  for  terms  of  surrender. 

And  the  surrender  was  made  at  ten  o'clock  the 
following  morning,  the  Glorious  Fourth ! 

It  was  indeed  a  glorious  "celebration."  But 
there  was  no  cheering  or  other  outward  signs  of 
jubilation.  General  Grant,  thoughtful  even  of  his 
enemies,  had  issued  orders  that  there  should  be  no 
hurrahing ;  and  the  Union  troops,  standing  along 
their  breastworks,  looked  on  in  silence.  Very 
probably  the  order  would  not  have  been  necessary. 
A  truly  brave  soldier  will  always  be  kind  to  a  van- 
quished enemy  who  has  fought  bravely.  And 
these  men  had  courageously  fought  a  losing  fight, 


VICKSBURG  135 

week  after  week,  and  on  the  shortest  rations  of  poor 
food. 

They  marched  out  of  their  intrenchments,  regi- 
ment after  regiment,  —  over  31,000  in  all,  —  a  sad 
procession ;  and  in  silence  stacked  their  rifles,  and 
made  into  a  pile  their  knapsacks,  haversacks,  and 
cartridge-boxes.  Last  of  all  they  added  their  tat- 
tered, bullet-riddled  flags. 

And  so  ended  in  complete  success  one  of  the  great- 
est sieges  of  modern  history.  A  natural  result  of 
the  great  victory  was  the  raising  of  General  Grant 
to  the  rank  of  major-general. 


CHAPTER  XIV 
CHATTANOOGA 

A  FEW  weeks  after  the  fall  of  Vicksburg,  General 
Grant  was  in  New  Orleans  to  confer  with  General 
Banks.  While  returning  from  a  review  of  General 
Banks'  troops,  a  few  miles  from  the  city,  his  horse 
became  frightened  at  a  passing  locomotive,  and 
he  was  thrown  and  seriously  injured.  He  was 
unconscious  for  several  hours,  and  when  he  came 
to,  found  himself  in  a  hotel.  For  a  week  he  was 
compelled  to  remain  there,  suffering  great  pain, 
and  was  then  carried  aboard  a  river  steamer  and 
removed  to  Vicksburg. 

While  General  Grant  was  confined  to  his  bed 
in  New  Orleans,  General  Halleck,  now  commander 
in  chief  at  Washington,  telegraphed  him  to  send 
reinforcements  to  General  Rosecrans,  who  was 
campaigning  against  a  Confederate  army  under 
General  Bragg  in  Tennessee  and  northern  Georgia. 
Because  of  poor  telegraphic  connections  between 
Washington  and  New  Orleans,  the  dispatch  had 
been  delayed,  and  in  the  meantime  General  Rose- 
136 


CHATTANOOGA  137 

crans  had  been  attacked  and  badly  defeated  at 
Chickamauga.  His  forces  had  been  driven  into 
Chattanooga,  and  were  practically  besieged  there. 

President  Lincoln  and  his  military  cabinet  were 
greatly  alarmed.  They  turned  to  General  Grant 
for  help,  and  on  the  i6th  of  October  he  was  directed 
to  proceed  to  Louisville,  to  meet  an  officer  of  the 
War  Department  with  instructions.  Although  still 
walking  with  crutches,  Grant  complied,  and  on  the 
way  met  Secretary  of  War  Stanton.  During  the 
journey  the  secretary  handed  General  Grant  an 
order  appointing  him  head  of  the  Military  Division 
of  the  Mississippi,  with  command  over  the  Depart- 
ments of  the  Ohio,  Cumberland,  and  Tennessee. 

That  night  at  Louisville  a  message  came  from 
Assistant  Secretary  of  War  Dana,  who  was  at 
Chattanooga,  saying  that  General  Rosecrans  was 
about  to  abandon  the  town,  and  advising  that  he 
be  ordered  not  to  do  so. 

During  the  battle  of  Chickamauga,  General 
Rosecrans  had  only  been  saved  from  a  greater 
defeat  by  the  splendid  fighting  of  his  left  wing, 
under  General  Thomas.  Grant  had  always  con- 
sidered General  Thomas  to  be  the  better  general. 
Therefore  he  now  appointed  Thomas  to  the  chief 
command  at  Chattanooga  in  place  of  Rosecrans, 
and  telegraphed  him, — 


138  ULYSSES  S.   GRANT 

"Hold  Chattanooga  at  all  hazards.  I  will  be  there  as 
soon  as  possible." 

General  Thomas  replied, 

"  We  will  hold  the  town  till  we  starve." 

The  nearest  railroad  point  to  Chattanooga  at 
that  time  was  Bridgeport,  forty  miles  away.  Grant 
reached  Bridgeport,  and  began  the  remainder  of 
the  journey  in  an  ambulance,  over  roads  made 
wretched  by  a  steady  rain.  The  jolting  proved 
too  much  for  his  bruised  side,  and  he  took  to  his 
horse.  This  also  was  very  painful,  and  from  time 
to  time  the  men  of  his  escort  were  compelled  to 
lift  him  from  the  saddle  and  carry  him  a  distance. 
But  there  was  no  thought  of  turning  back,  or 
halting,  and  on  the  evening  of  October  23  he  ar- 
rived at  his  destination. 

He  at  once  sought  General  Thomas,  to  discuss 
the  situation  with  him.  Its  seriousness  had  not 
been  exaggerated.  The  Union  troops  held  very- 
little  ground  outside  the  town,  while  the  enemy, 
numbering  forty  to  fifty  thousand  men,  occupied 
strongly  fortified  positions  on  every  height  to  the 
east,  south,  and  southwest.  They  held  Mission- 
ary Ridge,  a  long,  low  hill  to  the  east  and  south ; 
Lookout  Mountain,  a  bold  height  which  almost  over- 
looked Chattanooga,  and  a  hill  known  as  Orchard 
Knob,  lying  in  the  valley  scarcely  out  of  rifle  shot. 


CHATTANOOGA  139 

As  for  the  army  in  the  town,  it  was  short  of 
ammunition,  short  of  rations,  ragged,  tired,  and 
discouraged.  Even  wood  with  which  to  make 
fires  for  cooking  and  warmth  was  difficult  to  ob- 
tain. The  sick  and  wounded  were  without  proper 
accommodation  and  necessaries.  The  horses  and 
mules  were  dying  of  starvation. 

General  Grant  quickly  "made  things  move." 
Within  a  week  he  had  found  and  forced  a  way  for 
bringing  in  supplies  by  the  Tennessee  River.  He 
had  started  General  Sherman  with  reinforcements 
from  Corinth,  two  hundred  miles  away,  and  had 
moved  General  Hooker  with  his  division  forward 
from  Bridgeport. 

The  effect  on  the  spirits  of  the  army  in  Chatta- 
nooga was  shown  immediately.  Discouragement 
and  signs  of  privation  disappeared,  and  gave  place  to 
cheerf  ulness  and  an  eagerness  to  resume  the  conflict. 

General  Sherman  arrived  on  the  2oth  of  Novem- 
ber. Three  days  later  the  battle  of  Chattanooga 
began.  Brigadier  General  Granger  had  been  or- 
dered forward  with  a  division  of  the  Fourth  Corps, 
to  disclose  the  position  of  the  enemy.  The  prepa- 
rations were  made,  and  at  half-past  eleven  in  the 
forenoon,  in  full  sight  of  the  enemy,  the  Third 
Division  moved  against  the  Confederate  position 
on  Orchard  Knob. 


140  ULYSSES  S.   GRANT 

Ignoring  the  heavy  fire  that  broke  out  as  soon 
as  they  were  in  range,  the  Union  troops  advanced 
in  a  long,  steady  line,  firing  in  return.  They 
gained  the  foot  of  the  hill,  and  with  a  rush  and  a 
cheer  they  went  up.  For  a  few  minutes  the  enemy 
fought  desperately  to  throw  back  the  blue-coated 
wave.  The  impetuous  charge  reached  the  trenches, 
and  the  defenders  broke  and  fled. 

This  ended  the  fighting  on  the  23d. 

Meanwhile,  General  Hooker  was  leading  his  divi- 
sion forward  on  the  right  of  the  Union  position, 
and  General  Sherman  on  the  left.  All  day  on  the 
24th,  concealed  by  a  mist,  General  Hooker's  men 
were  forcing  their  way  up  the  slopes  of  Lookout 
Mountain.  The  remainder  of  the  Union  army 
waited,  and  listened  to  the  sound  of  the  distant 
firing.  Night  fell,  and  the  firing  ceased.  Morning 
came,  and  a  great  cheer  rolled  along  the  Union 
center.  The  "battle  above  the  clouds"  had  been 
won!  The  Stars  and  Stripes  were  waving  vic- 
toriously from  the  crest  of  the  mountain ! 

General  Grant,  from  a  vantage  point  on  Orchard 
Knob,  turned  toward  the  left  of  his  battle  line. 
There  he  had  ordered  General  Sherman  to  advance 
and  attack  at  daybreak.  He  could  see  large  bodies 
of  the  enemy  moving  toward  that  end  of  the  ridge 
to  oppose  Sherman. 


CHATTANOOGA  141 

Presently  from  the  north  came  the  faint  boom 
of  cannon.  Sherman  had  attacked. 

General  Grant  faced  south,  where  he  had  directed 
Hooker  to  push  on  along  the  ridge.  Apparently 
Hooker's  men  had  not  yet  moved.  Grant  waited 
for  a  time,  then  turned  to  General  Thomas,  who 
commanded  the  Union  center. 

"Hooker  has  not  yet  come  up,  but  I  think  you 
had  better  move,  on  Sherman's  account,"  he  said 
quietly. 

General  Thomas  sent  an  order.  Near  by,  a  cannon 
roared,  another,  and  another  —  six  in  quick  succes- 
sion. It  was  the  signal  for  the  center  to  advance. 

A  great  blue  line  of  men,  two  miles  long,  three 
ranks  deep,  started  forward  across  the  valley. 
With  the  morning  light  sparkling  on  twenty  thou- 
sand bayonets,  it  was  a  thrilling  spectacle. 

Across  the  plain  the  line  swept,  bending  a  little 
here  and  there,  like  a  great  wave  rolling  toward  a 
beach.  Puffs  of  white  smoke  broke  out  along  its 
front,  and  there  came  the  crackling  of  rifles.  Can- 
non up  on  the  ridge  quickly  responded,  and  the 
rifle  pits  below  returned  volley  for  volley. 

The  blue  line  pressed  on.  It  drew  near  the 
slope,  and  suddenly  the  enemy  swarmed  from  their 
trenches  and  fell  back  hurriedly  to  their  second  line 
of  defenses. 


142  ULYSSES  S.   GRANT 

The  firing  was  now  terrific.  The  blue  wave  fal- 
tered and  broke.  But  again  it  moved  on,  no  longer 
a  single  line,  but  a  great  zigzagging  chain  of  hurry- 
ing, scrambling  groups,  each  group  clustering 
around  a  fluttering  flag.  Occasionally  a  group 
would  falter  and  pause.  The  color-bearer  had 
fallen.  But  quickly  the  flag  would  reappear  and 
the  group  would  hasten  on. 

The  crest  of  the  ridge  was  now  a  continuous  flame 
of  cannon-fire  and  musketry,  blazing  through  a 
wall  of  smoke.  The  noise  was  deafening.  But  the 
blue  line  mounted  steadily. 

Across  the  valley  our  General  was  watching, 
apparently  cool  and  unexcited.  When  the  second 
line  of  rifle  pits  was  carried,  he  suddenly  called 
for  his  horse.  "I'm  going  up  there!"  he  said. 

Down  from  the  hill  and  across  the  plain  he 
raced,  followed  by  his  staff.  As  he  rode  he  saw 
the  wave  of  blue  pour  over  the  last  line  of  the 
enemy's  trenches,  then  break  over  the  crest  of  the 
ridge  itself.  Almost  immediately  the  roar  of  the 
guns  began  to  subside;  and  when  Grant  arrived 
at  the  summit,  he  was  just  in  time  to  see  the  enemy 
breaking  in  wild  flight. 

The  battle  of  Chattanooga  had  been  won! 

The  next  day  was  Thanksgiving  Day  —  one  of 
the  memorable  Thanksgiving  Days  in  the  history 


CHATTANOOGA  143 

of  the  Union.  Once  more  throughout  the  entire 
North  General  Grant  was  hailed  as  the  nation's 
hero. 

Of  his  generalship  in  this  battle,  General  Sherman 
said,  "What  Grant  did  was  this:  By  my  attacks 
so  often  on  my  left,  he  made  Bragg  believe  our 
main  attack  was  to  be  there,  and  so  Bragg  weakened 
his  center  to  reenforce  his  right,  and  when  Grant 
'divined'  he  had  done  this  sufficiently,  he  hurled 
Thomas  forward,  as  a  battering  ram,  and  smashed 
Bragg  completely.  It  was  a  great  victory  —  the 
neatest  and  cleanest  battle  I  was  ever  in,  and 
Grant  deserves  the  credit  of  it." 


CHAPTER  XV 

GENERAL  OF  ALL  THE  ARMIES 

THE  great  battle  of  Chattanooga  was  scarcely 
over  before  General  Grant  sent  General  Sher- 
man to  Knoxville,  eighty  miles  away,  to  relieve 
General  Burnside,  who  was  besieged  there  by  Long- 
street.  Burnside  was  in  desperate  straits.  Hear- 
ing that  relief  was  coming,  he  held  out,  and  on  the 
3d  of  December,  the  day  on  which  the  last  ration 
of  food  was  issued  to  his  exhausted  troops,  Sherman 
reached  him,  and  the  Confederates  retired. 

When  President  Lincoln  learned  that  Burn- 
side's  army  had  been  saved,  he  sent  General  Grant 
the  following  message :  — 

"  Understanding  that  your  lodgment  in  Knoxville  and  at 
Chattanooga  is  now  sure,  I  wish  to  tender  you,  and  all  under 
your  command,  my  more  than  thanks,  my  profoundest  grati- 
tude, for  the  skill,  courage  and  perseverance  with  which  you 
and  they,  over  so  great  difficulties,  have  effected  that  im- 
portant object.  God  bless  you  all." 

Joy  rilled  the  country  over  the  victory  at  Chatta- 
nooga.   Congress  adopted  a  resolution  of  thanks, 
144 


GENERAL  OF  ALL  THE  ARMIES         145 

and  voted  that  a  gold  medal  be  presented  to  Gen- 
eral Grant  in  the  name  of  the  people  of  the  United 
States.  Several  states  also  adopted  resolutions  of 
thanks ;  and  Jo  Daviess  County,  General  Grant's 
home  county  in  Illinois,  presented  him  with  a 
diamond-hilted  sword.  The  sword  was  afterwards 
known  as  the  "Chattanooga  sword."  The  scab- 
bard was  of  gold,  and  bore  the  names  of  all  the 
battles  Grant  had  won  up  to  that  time. 

In  the  latter  part  of  January,  1864,  General 
Grant  obtained  leave  of  absence  for  the  purpose  of 
visiting  his  oldest  son,  Fred,  who  was  seriously  ill 
in  St.  Louis.  With  his  unfailing  modesty,  he  did 
not  take  any  of  his  staff  officers,  but  went  alone, 
and  at  the  Lindell  Hotel  registered  simply  as 
"U.  S.  Grant,  Nashville." 

The  news  of  his  arrival  quickly  spread,  however, 
and  soon  the  hotel  lobby  was  thronged  with  people 
eager  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  hero  of  Vicksburg 
and  Chattanooga.  In  the  evening  he  was  sere- 
naded by  a  great  throng,  and  when  he  appeared 
on  the  hotel  balcony,  he  was  greeted  with  tremen- 
dous and  long-continued  cheering.  It  was  sup- 
posed he  would  make  a  speech.  But  he  was  still 
the  man  who  preferred  doing  things  to  talking 
about  them.  He  responded  briefly:  "I  thank  you 
for  this  honor.  I  cannot  make  a  speech.  It  is 


146  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

something  I  have  never  done,  and  never  intend  to 
do,  and  I  beg  you  to  excuse  me." 

After  the  serenade  General  Grant  was  invited 
to  a  banquet  at  which  several  hundred  of  the  most 
prominent  people  of  the  city  were  present.  He  was 
again  called  upon  for  a  speech. 

"Gentlemen,"  he  replied,  "it  is  impossible  for 
me  to  do  more  than  thank  you." 

One  incident  of  the  banquet  attracted  consider- 
able attention.  In  honor  of  the  occasion,  the  finest 
wines  in  St.  Louis  had  been  bought,  regardless  of 
cost.  When  General  Grant  took  his  place  at  the 
table,  nis  first  act  was  to  turn  his  wine  glass  up- 
side down,  indicating  that  he  would  take  no  wine, 
and  it  remained  so  throughout  the  dinner.  This 
action  was  a  convincing  reply  to  the  tales  of  drink- 
ing that  had  been  spread  by  certain  of  his  enemies. 

It  might  be  explained  here  how  these  tales 
originated.  When  Grant  was  a  brigadier  general, 
at  Cairo,  his  headquarters  were  on  the  second  floor 
of  an  old  building.  Sharing  the  room  with  him 
was  an  old  army  officer  of  the  commissary  depart- 
ment. This  officer  was  given  to  drinking  and  to 
coarse  talk,  which  Grant  especially  disliked.  To 
escape  his  unwelcome  neighbor,  Grant  moved  his 
desk  from  the  room  into  an  adjoining  hallway. 
The  old  officer  interpreted  this  act,  and  Grant's 


GENERAL  OF  ALL  THE  ARMIES          147 

refusal  to  drink  with  him,  as  an  insult,  and  began 
spreading  the  report  that  Grant  had  moved  his 
desk  into  the  hallway  so  that  he  might  himself 
drink  in  secret.  Unfortunately,  on  taking  com- 
mand at  Cairo,  Grant  had  offended  certain  news- 
paper men  by  refusing  them  military  information, 
and  these  men  in  revenge  published  the  story 
told  by  the  old  officer. 

General  Grant's  victory  at  Vicksburg  had  re- 
sulted in  his  being  given  a  larger  command.  The 
victory  at  Chattanooga  carried  him  to  the  top  of 
the  ladder. 

On  March  3,  1864,  he  received  orders  to  report 
to  Washington,  to  become  lieutenant  general, 
the  commander  of  all  the  armies  of  the  United 
States. 

General  Grant  set  out  for  the  national  capital, 
to  take  this  high  command,  with  no  more  fuss  than 
he  had  shown  on  going  to  St.  Louis.  His  arrival 
in  Washington  was  quite  unnoticed. 

At  five  o'clock  on  Tuesday  afternoon,  March  8, 
it  is  related,  an  officer  modestly  attired  was  seen 
leading  a  four-year-old  boy  by  the  hand  into  Wil- 
lard's  Hotel.  Without  speaking  to  any  one,  or 
paying  any  attention  to  the  throng  in  the  lobby, 
he  registered  as  "U.  S.  Grant  and  son,  Galena, 
Ills."  Then  quietly  he  entered  the  dining  room 


148  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

and  took  a  seat  at  a  table.  He  had  been  at  the 
table  only  a  few  minutes  when  a  gentleman  from 
New  Orleans  recognized  him.  Rising  from  his 
seat,  the  New  Orleans  man  cordially  shook  hands 
with  the  General,  calling  him  by  name.  In  a 
moment  the  news  flashed  from  chair  to  chair  that 
General  Grant  was  in  the  room.  Hundreds  of 
guests,  senators,  representatives,  supreme  court 
judges,  and  officers  of  the  army,  sprang  from  their 
seats,  cheering  and  crowding  round  him.  So  great 
was  the  excitement  and  crowding  that  the  General 
was  unable  to  finish  his  meal,  and  presently  he 
rose  and  left  the  dining  room.  In  the  hallway 
he  encountered  another  throng  of  enthusiastic 
admirers,  and  finally  he  was  compelled  to  with- 
draw to  his  private  room. 

That  evening  the  unwilling  hero  went  through 
an  experience  still  more  trying.  He  visited  the 
White  House  to  report  to  President  Lincoln,  and 
found  himself  the  central  figure  at  one  of  the 
President's  levees. 

The  moment  of  the  meeting  of  Grant  and  Lin- 
coln was  a  memorable  one.  On  Grant's  entrance 
there  was  an  excited  buzz  in  the  crowded  room, 
then  a  hush,  and  the  throng  fell  back.  The  Gen- 
eral was  in  his  worn  field  uniform.  He  was  visibly 
embarrassed  as  he  advanced.  Lincoln  met  him 


GENERAL  OF  ALL  THE  ARMIES          149 

with  warmly  extended  hand,  and  the  tone  of  his 
voice  meant  far  more  than  his  simple  words  when 
he  said,  "I  am  glad  to  see  you,  General." 

Grant  passed  on  into  the  East  Room,  and  there 
the  crowd  almost  flung  itself  upon  him.  He  was 
cheered  enthusiastically,  and  people  struggled 
to  grasp  his  hand.  Finally  he  was  forced  to  mount 
a  sofa,  so  he  could  be  seen. 

Altogether  the  hero  of  the  occasion  would  much 
have  preferred  a  battle.  When  he  left  the  White 
House  he  breathed  a  deep  sigh  of  relief,  and 
exclaimed, 

"I  hope  that  ends  the  show  business!" 

The  formal  presentation  to  General  Grant  of 
his  commission  as  lieutenant  general  was  made 
the  next  day.  It  was  another  notable  occasion. 
Such  an  event  had  not  taken  place  since  the  time 
of  General  Washington. 

The  presentation  was  made  in  the  presence  of 
the  members  of  the  cabinet  and  other  prominent 
officers  of  the  government.  The  speeches  were 
simple  —  such  as  one  would  expect  from  the  two 
truly  great,  simple,  straightforward  men  who  had 
risen  from  equally  humble  positions  to  the  highest 
places  in  the  land. 

Said  President  Lincoln:  "General  Grant,  as 
the  Nation's  appreciation  of  what  you  have  done, 


150  ULYSSES  S.   GRANT 

and  its  reliance  upon  you  for  what  remains  to  be 
done  in  the  existing  great  struggle,  you  are  now 
presented  with  this  commission,  constituting  you 
Lieutenant  General  of  the  Army  of  the  United 
States.  With  this  high  honor  devolves  upon  you 
also  a  corresponding  responsibility.  As  the  coun- 
try herein  trusts  you,  so,  under  God,  it  will  sustain 
you.  I  scarcely  need  to  add  that  with  what  I  here 
speak  for  the  Nation,  goes  my  own  hearty  personal 
concurrence." 

General  Grant  replied  :  "Mr.  President,  I  accept 
the  commission  with  gratitude  for  the  high  honor 
conferred.  With  the  aid  of  the  noble  armies  that 
have  fought  on  so  many  fields  for  our  common 
country,  it  will  be  my  earnest  endeavor  not  to  dis- 
appoint your  expectations.  I  feel  the  full  weight  of 
the  responsibilities  now  devolving  upon  me;  and 
I  know  that  if  they  are  all  met,  it  will  be  due 
to  those  armies,  and  above  all,  to  the  favor  of 
that  Providence  which  leads  both  nations  and 
men." 

With  his  customary  energy,  Grant  on  the  fol- 
lowing day  held  a  conference  with  General  Meade, 
commanding  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  seventy 
miles  from  Washington.  Returning  to  Washing- 
ton, he  declined  an  invitation  to  a  military  dinner 
in  his  honor  by  Mrs.  Lincoln,  and  hastened  back 


GENERAL  OF  ALL  THE  ARMIES          151 

to  Nashville,  to  hand  over  to  General  Sherman  the 
command  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee. 

There  was  a  strong  friendship  between  General 
Grant  and  General  Sherman.  It  was  based  on 
manly,  unselfish  appreciation  of  each  other's  worth. 

On  March  4,  before  leaving  Nashville  for  Wash- 
ington, General  Grant  had  written  a  letter  to 
General  Sherman  in  which  this  unselfishness  was 
beautifully  shown.  It  is  doubtful  whether  an- 
other such  letter  was  ever  written  by  one  military 
commander  to  another. 

After  telling  of  his  promotion  to  the  chief  com- 
mand, General  Grant  wrote  in  part  as  follows :  — 

"While  I  have  been  eminently  successful  in  this 
war,  in  at  least  gaming  the  confidence  of  the 
public,  no  one  feels  more  than  I  how  much  of  this 
success  is  due  to  the  energy  and  skill  ...  of  those 
whom  it  has  been  my  good  fortune  to  have  occu- 
pying subordinate  positions  under  me.  .  .  .  But 
what  I  want  is  to  express  my  thanks  to  you  and 
McPherson  as  the  men  to  whom,  above  all  others, 
I  feel  indebted  for  whatever  I  have  had  of  success. 
.  .  .  How  far  your  execution  of  whatever  has 
been  given  you  to  do  entitles  you  to  the  reward 
I  am  now  receiving,  you  cannot  know  as  well  as 
I  do.  I  feel  all  the  gratitude  this  letter  would 
express,  giving  it  the  most  flattering  construction." 


152  ULYSSES  S.   GRANT 

General  Sherman's  letter  in  reply  was  equally 
generous.  It  disclaimed  any  special  credit,  and 
declared  that  it  was  the  confidence  which  Grant 
inspired  in  those  under  him  that  enabled  them  to 
play  their  part. 

"I  believe  you. are  as  brave,  patriotic  and  just  as 
.  .  .  Washington,"  he  wrote;  "as  honest,  unself- 
ish and  kindhearted  as  a  man  should  be ;  but  the 
chief  characteristic  in  your  nature  is  the  simple 
faith  in  success  you  have  always  manifested,  which 
I  can  liken  to  nothing  else  than  the  faith  a  Christian 
has  in  his  Saviour  .  .  .  when  you  have  completed 
your  best  preparations,  you  go  into  battle  without 
hesitation,  as  at  Chattanooga  —  no  doubts,  no 
reserve ;  and  I  tell  you  it  was  this  that  made  us 
act  with  confidence.  I  knew,  wherever  I  was,  that 
you  thought  of  me,  and  if  I  got  in  a  tight  place, 
you  would  come,  if  alive.  ..." 


CHAPTER  XVI 
THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  WILDERNESS 

UP  to  this  time  the  eastern  and  western  cam- 
paigns of  the  Northern  armies  had  been  carried 
on  without  any  attempt  at  joint  action.  This  had 
given  the  generals  of  the  Confederacy  a  consider- 
able advantage.  Grant  planned  that  every  divi- 
sion of  the  Union  forces  should  now  move  simul- 
taneously, and  with  one  final  object  in  view  —  the 
capture  of  Richmond,  the  Confederate  capital. 

From  his  conference  with  Sherman,  General 
Grant  returned  to  Washington. 

It  was  a  magnificent  army  which  Grant  com- 
manded. In  numbers  —  600,000  men  —  it  was 
the  largest,  up  to  that  time,  ever  commanded  by  a 
single  leader.  It  was  scattered  over  a  wide  terri- 
tory, however;  and  the  Army  of  the  Potomac, 
with  which  Grant  prepared  to  face  the  Confederate 
forces  under  Lee,  numbered  but  122,000.  Grant 
estimated  Lee's  men  to  number  80,000,  with  the 
advantage  of  being  in  familiar  country. 
153 


154  ULYSSES  S.   GRANT 

An  amusing  story  is  told  of  Grant  and  a  young 
"dude"  officer  at  this  time.  The  General  had 
made  his  headquarters  at  Culpeper  Court  House. 
One  day,  while  on  the  road  in  a  drizzling  rain, 
accompanied  only  by  his  orderly,  he  saw  a 
carriage  approaching.  It  was  drawn  by  a  pair 
of  fine  horses  and  was  escorted  by  mounted 
attendants. 

When  near  the  General,  the  driver  of  the  car- 
riage reined  up.  The  carriage  door  opened  and  a 
dashing  young  officer,  in  an  immaculate  uniform, 
stepped  gingerly  out  and  saluted.  He  inquired 
if  he  was  addressing  General  Grant,  and  stated 
that  he  wished  to  speak  with  him. 

"Certainly,"  replied  the  General.  "Come  and 
take  a  walk  with  me." 

The  officer  looked  in  consternation  at  his  shining 
boots,  at  the  muddy  road,  and  up  at  the  dripping 
clouds.  But  the  General  moved  on,  and  there  was 
nothing  to  do  but  to  follow.  Back  and  forth  they 
strolled,  splashing  through  the  muddy  pools,  the 
General  apparently  quite  unconscious  of  the  sad 
result  to  the  young  officer's  brilliant  uniform. 
When  the  conversation  was  ended,  the  "  drawing- 
room  soldier's"  appearance  was  much  like  that  of 
a  half -drowned  peacock.  His  handsome  plume 
was  drooping,  and  his  expensive  riding  boots  were 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  WILDERNESS      155 

incrusted  with  mud  to  their  tops.  Back  at  the 
carriage  the  General  left  him, 

"You  might  set  a  little  better  example  in  your 
dress,"  he  quietly  suggested. 

Shortly  after  midnight,  May  4,  1864,  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac,  under  General  Grant,  left  camp 
and  began  to  move  on  Richmond.  By  morning  it 
had  crossed  to  the  south  side  of  the  Rapidan  River. 
On  the  afternoon  of  the  next  day,  the  5th,  it  found 
itself  confronted  by  General  Lee.  The  first  and 
long-awaited  test  between  the  two  greatest  leaders 
of  the  North  and  South  was  on. 

The  scene  of  the  encounter  was  known  as  the 
Wilderness.  It  was  a  table-land  covered  with  a 
dense  growth  of  scrub  oak,  dwarf  pine,  and 
hazel  thickets,  woven  together  by  masses  of  wild 
vines. 

The  battle  was  opened  by  General  Warren's 
corps.  When  General  Grant  arrived  on  the  scene, 
he  ordered  General  Hancock  to  join  Warren. 
There  was  no  room  for  maneuvering,  so  dense  was 
the  jungle.  The  men  worked  their  way  forward 
as  best  they  could,  firing  whenever  they  could 
see  any  one  to  fire  at.  The  Confederates  replied 
with  crashing  volleys,  and  soon  the  place  was 
thick  with  smoke.  Neither  artillery  nor  cavalry 
could  be  used. 


156  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

In  places  the  Union  lines  pushed  forward  slowly. 
In  others  they  were  forced  back.  But  they  re- 
fused to  break,  and  when  darkness  came,  General 
Lee  realized  that  his  efforts  to  crush  Grant  by  one 
blow  had  failed,  and  he  quietly  withdrew. 

When  the  account  of  this  first  clash  reached 
Washington,  President  Lincoln  is  reported  to  have 
said, 

"Any  other  commander  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 
has  had  would  have  at  once  withdrawn  his  army 
over  the  Rapidan  after  that  first  day's  reception." 

Instead  of  withdrawing  from  the  Wilderness, 
General  Grant  ordered  an  attack  all  along  the 
line  at  five  o'clock  on  Friday  morning. 

The  second  day's  struggle  began  at  the  time  set. 
The  attack  was  opened  on  the  Union  left  by  General 
Hancock's  division,  and  like  the  rolling  of  thunder, 
spread  away  to  the  west  over  a  front  of  five  miles. 

It  was  the  battle  of  Thursday  continued  —  the 
same  storm  of  bullets  at  close  range,  the  same 
desperate  advancing  and  slow  retiring  through 
blinding  smoke  and  the  tangle  of  underbrush. 

General  Hancock  succeeded  in  forcing  a  section 
of  the  enemy's  line  a  mile  and  a  half  to  the  rear, 
and  captured  many  prisoners.  The  victory  was 
followed  by  a  repulse.  The  Confederates,  ree'n- 
forced  by  Longstreet,  began  a  charge  with  solid 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  WILDERNESS      157 

masses  of  infantry,  and  Hancock  was  forced  to 
fall  back. 

All  day  the  battle  raged,  the  lines  advancing 
here,  and  retiring  there,  without  decisive  success 
to  either  side.  But  by  nightfall  the  army  of  Lee 
had  had  enough.  When  daylight  came  on  Saturday, 
it  disclosed  the  fact  that  the  Confederate  general 
had  fallen  back  behind  his  intrenchments. 

And  so  ended  the  great  battle  of  the  Wilderness. 

The  two  days'  struggle,  said  General  Grant, 
"saw  more  desperate  fighting  than  had  ever  been 
known  on  this  continent."  Again  was  shown 
splendid  courage,  by  both  the  men  of  the  North 
and  the  men  of  the  South. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

SPOTTSYLVANIA 

WHEN  Grant  discovered  that  General  Lee  had 
retired  behind  his  prepared  intrenchments,  he 
decided  to  leave  the  Confederate  army  there,  and 
move  on  in  a  sideways  fashion  to  Spottsylvania. 
He  began  the  movement  during  the  night. 

He  arrived  at  Spottsylvania  the  next  day,  Sun- 
day, only  to  find  that  the  enemy  had  preceded  him 
by  a  shorter  road,  and  was  again  across  his  path, 
ready  to  offer  battle. 

The  countiy  here  was  much  the  same  as  that 
in  the  Wilderness  —  forest,  and  a  tangled  growth 
of  underbrush.  It  was  Tuesday,  the  loth  of  May, 
when  the  Union  forces  were  in  position,  and  the 
battle  began. 

The  fighting  proved  even  more  bloody  than  that 
of  the  Wilderness.  It  began  at  one  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,  and  until  nightfall  the  men  of  the  two 
armies  surged  backward  and  forward  through  blind- 
ing clouds  of  smoke.  The  roar  of  cannon  and  the 
crashing  of  musketry  were  terrific  and  continuous. 
158 


SPOTTSYLVANIA  159 

The  carnage  ceased  with  the  coming  of  darkness, 
but  grimly  each  side  held  to  its  positions.  There 
was  no  fighting  on  Wednesday.  The  two  armies 
paused  to  take  breath  for  a  still  more  desperate 
struggle.  Lee  was  determined  that  Grant  should 
be  hurled  back.  Grant  was  just  as  determined  to 
push  ahead.  And  in  spite  of  their  terrible  losses, 
the  Union  men  caught  his  spirit,  and  were  deter- 
mined to  do  their  part,  although  it  meant  death. 

During  Wednesday  night  General  Grant  moved 
Hancock's  corps  to  a  position  before  the  strongest 
point  of  the  Confederate  center.  At  four  o'clock 
in  the  morning  of  Thursday,  according  to  plan, 
Hancock's  men  attacked  with  a  rush.  They  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  over  the  enemy's  breastworks. 
A  desperate  hand-to-hand  struggle  followed.  The 
men  of  the  two  armies  were  so  intermingled  that 
they  could  not  fire.  Instead,  they  used  their  rifles 
as  clubs. 

The  loss  of  life  was  appalling.  At  the  point 
where  Hancock's  men  went  over  the  Confederate 
breastworks  the  dead  and  wounded  lay  in  heaps. 

Hancock's  men  at  last  captured  the  position, 
making  many  prisoners.  But  scarcely  had  they 
done  so,  when  fresh  Confederate  troops  made  a 
determined  effort  to  drive  them  out. 

And  so  the  terrible  conflict  continued  throughout 


160  ULYSSES  S.   GRANT 

the  entire  day,  and  on  into  the  night.  So  heavy  was 
the  fire  that  in  places  large  trees  were  cut  through 
and  brought  to  the  ground  by  rifle  bullets  alone. 

Thursday  night  ended  the  fight,  with  the  two 
armies  holding  their  main  positions.  The  rain 
which  began  on  that  day  continued  until  Tuesday, 
the  i yth,  and  the  battle  meantime  was  not  resumed. 

Grant  again  determined  to  leave  Lee  behind 
his  intrenchments,  and  move  on  secretly,  if  possible. 
He  began  the  maneuver  on  the  night  of  the  2oth. 
Once  again  the  Confederate  general  discovered 
the  plan,  again  moved  by  a  shorter  road,  and  in- 
terposed. But  Lee's  third  attempt  to  block  Grant 
was  unsuccessful,  and  once  more  the  Union  army 
moved  on  toward  Richmond. 

On  the  3ist  of  May  General  Sheridan  and  his 
cavalry  division,  the  Union  advance  guard,  arrived 
at  Cold  Harbor.  Here,  almost  within  sight  of 
Richmond,  Lee's  army  again  appeared.  Grant 
had  ordered  Sheridan  to  hold  the  crossing  at  Cold 
Harbor  Tavern  at  all  costs,  and  Sheridan  dis- 
mounted his  men  and  intrenched.  In  the  morning 
the  infantry  arrived,  and  the  two  armies  met  in 
another  terrific  battle. 

General  Lee  fought  with  desperation.  Grant 
ordered  a  general  assault,  which  failed.  He  spent 
a  day  in  burying  the  dead  and  in  posting  fresh 


SPOTTSYLVANIA  161 

troops,  and  on  the  third  day  ordered  another  assault. 
This  also  failed,  with  great  loss  to  both  sides. 

Most  commanders  would  have  been  discouraged. 
But  not  Grant!  Once  more  he  left  Lee  waiting 
for  a  fresh  attack,  and  moved  off  sideways.  On 
the  night  of  the  1 2th  of  June  he  transferred  his 
troops  across  the  Chickahominy  River  and  began 
a  swift  march  to  the  southeast.  His  plan  was  to 
make  a  wide  circuit  and  approach  Richmond  from 
the  south,  also  seizing  Petersburg  if  possible. 

The  maneuver  was  a  splendid  piece  of  strategy. 
So  rapidly  was  it  carried  out  that  General  Lee  did 
not  know  what  had  become  of  Grant  and  the 
Union  army.  For  two  days  he  lost  all  track  of 
them,  and  telegraphed  to  his  generals  at  different 
points,  "Where  is  Grant's  army ?  "  " Find  Grant's 
army." 

The  movement  was  a  complete  success.  It 
placed  the  Union  army  in  a  position  to  attack 
Richmond  from  the  rear,  and  it  cut  General  Lee's 
southern  lines  of  communication. 

On  June  14  General  Grant  telegraphed  to 
Washington : 

"  Our  forces  commence  crossing  the  James  to-day.  The 
enemy  shows  no  signs  of  having  brought  his  troops  to  the 
south  side  of  Richmond.  I  will  have  Petersburg  secured  if 
possible  before  they  get  in  in  much  force." 


162  ULYSSES  S.   GRANT 

But  disappointments  were  again  to  come.  They 
began  with  the  failure  to  capture  Petersburg.  An 
attack  was  made  by  the  Union  advance  guard 
late  in  the  day,  and  was  partially  successful.  But 
the  officer  directly  in  command  did  not  drive  the 
attack  home,  and  during  the  night  large  Confed- 
erate reinforcements  arrived.  As  a  consequence, 
a  siege  became  necessary. 

Once  more  critics  of  General  Grant  began  to 
find  fault.  "The  man  from  the  West  was  success- 
ful until  he  met  a  real  general,"  some  of  them  said. 

Petersburg,  twenty  miles  south  of  Richmond, 
was  strongly  fortified,  and  the  siege  dragged  on 
slowly.  A  mine  similar  to  those  driven  beneath 
the  defenses  of  Vicksburg  was  planned  and  tun- 
neled. It  was  charged  with  powder  and  the  time 
set  for  the  explosion.  Near  by,  troops  stood  ready 
to  rush  into  the  opening  made  in  the  breastworks. 
The  hour  came,  and  passed.  There  was  no  explo- 
sion. 

Two  brave  men  of  a  Pennsylvania  regiment, 
Jacob  Douty  and  Henry  Reese,  —  names  to  be 
remembered,  —  volunteered  to  enter  the  tunnel. 
They  did  so,  and  found  that  the  fuse  had  gone  out. 
They  relighted  it.  A  few  minutes  later  there  was 
a  rumble  like  an  earthquake,  and  a  great  mass  of 
earth  shot  into  the  air.  When  the  smoke  and  dust 


SPOTTSYLVANIA  163 

had  cleared,  an  opening  in  the  fortifications  sixty 
feet  wide  was  revealed. 

The  attacking  column  rushed  in.  But  through 
some  misunderstanding  the  men  did  not  push  their 
way  on  into  the  interior  of  the  fortifications. 
While  they  faltered,  the  defenders  rallied,  and 
the  attackers  were  compelled  to  retire  with  great 
loss. 

General  Grant  was  extremely  disappointed. 
While  trying  to  learn  the  reason  for  the  delay  of  the 
inner  attack,  he  climbed  the  breastworks  and  ran 
along  the  outer  wall,  fully  exposed  to  a  heavy  fire. 

When  news  of  this  failure  to  take  Petersburg 
became  public,  the  people  of  the  Union  were  again 
greatly  depressed.  It  was  believed  that,  like  all 
the  generals  who  had  gone  before  him  in  the 
eastern  campaigns,  General  Grant  also  was  a 
failure.  Newspapers  began  charging  him  with 
lack  of  ability,  and  with  throwing  away  the  lives 
of  his  men. 

Some  people  went  so  far  as  to  call  him  "Grant 
the  Butcher."  Nothing  could  have  been  more 
unjust.  Grant  could  not  bear  the  sight  of  blood. 
Suffering  affected  him  so  keenly  that  he  could  not 
look  on  the  wounded  in  the  battlefield.  He  could 
not  endure  to  see  an  animal  abused. 

To  add  to  Grant's  perplexities,  the  presidential 


164  ULYSSES  S.   GRANT 

election  was  on,  and  the  General's  failure  to  end 
the  war  quickly  was  being  used  as  an  argument 
against  the  reelection  of  Lincoln.  The  argument 
was  advanced  by  those  who  were  in  favor  of  making 
peace  at  any  price,  and  allowing  slavery  to  continue. 
Finally,  the  generals  of  several  Union  armies  in 
the  west  had  not  been  carrying  out  their  campaigns 
successfully. 

During  the  month  of  August  the  city  of  Wash- 
ington was  in  a  panic.  It  was  believed  that  Confeder- 
ate reinforcements  had  been  sent  to  General  Early, 
in  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  for  a  raid  on  the  capital. 
The  tide  of  misfortune  turned.  Early  was  de- 
feated by  General  Sheridan ;  General  Sherman 
captured  Atlanta ;  and  when  the  election  came, 
President  Lincoln  was  reflected. 

During  all  these  days  of  trial  and  disappoint- 
ment and  faultfinding,  General  Grant  remained  the 
same  —  quiet,  kindly,  and  confident  that  things 
would  come  out  all  right  in  the  end.  His  head- 
quarters were  at  City  Point,  a  strip  of  land  at  the 
junction  of  the  Appomattox  and  James  rivers,  a 
few  miles  from  Petersburg.  From  this  spot  he 
could  keep  in  touch  with  the  armies  of  the  Potomac 
and  the  James,  and  also  with  Washington. 

The  siege  dragged  on ;  and  when  winter  came, 
Mrs.  Grant  joined  her  husband  in  the  little  slat- 


SPOTTSYLVANIA  165 

sided  house  that  had  been  built  for  him.  Friends 
from  Illinois  came  to  see  him,  and  were  much  sur- 
prised to  find  him  the  same  quiet  man  they  had 
known  in  private  life. 

President  Lincoln  also  came  down  to  City  Point 
frequently,  and  would  drop  in  at  the  headquarters 
unannounced,  with  a  "  Good  morning,  gentlemen." 

Grant  was  at  City  Point  when  the  news  of  the 
completion  of  Sherman's  march  to  the  sea  reached 
him.  The  occasion  brought  another  proof  of  his 
unselfishness.  He  wrote  his  father,  Jesse  Grant, 
asking  him  to  start  a  subscription  to  present  Mrs. 
Sherman  with  a  furnished  house  in  Cincinnati. 
As  his  own  contribution,  he  sent  five  hundred 
dollars. 

"It  is  the  greatest  march  in  history,"  he  wrote, 
in  generous  praise.  "No  other  man  than  Sherman 
could  have  marched  so  far  in  an  enemy's  country, 
and  be  stronger  at  the  finish  than  at  the  start. 
He  is  a  greater  general  than  I  am." 


CHAPTER  XVIII 
THE  FALL  OF  RICHMOND 

DURING  the  winter  General  Grant  completed 
arrangements  for  important  doings  as  soon  as  the 
roads  were  passable  in  the  spring.  On  the  28th 
of  March,  on  board  the  steamer  River  Queen,  at 
City  Point,  he  held  a  memorable  consultation  with 
President  Lincoln  and  General  Sherman,  and  told 
of  his  plans. 

"At  this  moment,"  he  explained,  "Sheridan  is 
crossing  the  James  River  from  the  north  by  a 
pontoon  bridge  below  City  Point.  I  have  a  large 
and  well-appointed  force  of  cavalry  with  which  I 
propose  to  strike  the  South  Side  and  Danville 
railways.  These  are  the  only  roads  left  over  which 
Lee  can  supply  his  army.  I  intend  to  continue 
my  movement  to  the  left  until  Lee  is  entirely  cut 
off  from  the  Confederacy.  He  will  be  obliged 
either  to  surrender  or  abandon  Richmond.  If  he 
comes  out  of  his  lines  to  fight,  I  shall  defeat  him. 
My  only  fear  is  that  he  will  slip  away  to  join  John- 
ston in  the  south.  I  shall  start  with  no  distinct 

166 


THE  FALL  OF  RICHMOND  167 

view  other  than  to  prevent  Lee  from  following 
Sheridan;  but  I  shall  be  along  myself,  and  take 
advantage  of  anything  that  turns  up." 

Sherman  spoke.  "Let  him  join  Johnston  if  he 
wishes.  My  army  at  Goldsboro  is  strong  enough 
to  whip  him  and  Johnston  combined,  provided  you 
can  come  up  in  a  day  or  two.  If  Lee  will  remain  at 
Richmond  another  week,  I  can  march  to  Burkeville, 
and  Lee  will  starve  inside  his  own  lines,  or  come  out 
and  fight  us." 

President  Lincoln  asked  a  question. 

"How  many  men  has  Lee?" 

"About  sixty-five  thousand;  but  large  numbers 
are  deserting,"  replied  General  Grant. 

There  was  a  sorrowful  expression  on  the  Presi- 
dent's face.  "Can  we  not  end  this  thing  without 
another  battle?"  he  asked  sadly. 

Both  Grant  and  Sherman  shook  their  heads. 
They  believed  one  more  battle  at  least  must  be 
fought. 

"There  has  been  enough  bloodshed!  We  must 
avoid  another  battle!"  exclaimed  Lincoln. 

"We  cannot  control  that.  It  rests  with  the 
enemy,"  declared  Sherman. 

General  Grant  agreed.     He  then  concluded, 

"If  Lee  will  wait  where  he  is  for  a  few  days,  I 
will  have  my  army  so  disposed  that  if  he  attempts 


1 68  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

to  join  Johnston  I  will  be  at  his  heels,  and  he 
cannot  escape." 

Two  days  later,  under  Grant's  immediate  com- 
mand, the  Army  of  the  Potomac  began  to  move. 
Sheridan  also  pushed  ahead,  and  was  soon  at  Five 
Forks.  His  orders  were  to  threaten  Lee's  extreme 
right,  and  if  possible,  to  draw  out  and  flank  the 
Confederates  at  that  point. 

Word  of  Sheridan's  intentions  reached  Lee.  He 
hurried  to  his  right  wing  with  reinforcements, 
and  with  desperate  courage  met  Sheridan  on  the 
first  of  April.  Sheridan  was  not  to  be  forced  back, 
however,  and  at  dusk  his  men  went  over  the  Con- 
federate works,  and  captured  six  thousand  prisoners. 

"Good!"  said  General  Grant,  when  the  news 
came.  Then  he  ordered  an  attack  by  his  whole 
army.  A  terrific  cannonade  opened  from  one  end 
of  the  line  to  the  other.  General  Weitzel,  on  the 
north  side  of  the  James  River,  was  ordered  to  ad- 
vance against  Richmond,  and  to  enter  the  city  if 
the  Confederates  withdrew.  General  Wright  and 
General  Parke  were  directed  to  make  an  assault  on 
Petersburg  at  four  o'clock  the  next  morning. 
General  Humphreys  and  General  Ord,  of  the  Army 
of  the  James,  on  the  south  side  of  the  James,  were 
to  attack  the  moment  they  saw  the  enemy's  lines 
weaken. 


THE  FALL  OF  RICHMOND  169 

At  four  o'clock  that  Sunday  morning,  according 
to  plan,  the  blue-clad  columns  of  Parke  and  Wright 
moved  out  of  their  trenches.  Under  a  heavy  fire 
from  the  enemy  they  went  steadily  on.  They 
forced  their  way  through  an  abatis  of  trees,  and 
pressing  ahead  despite  heavy  losses,  gained  the 
parapets,  and  threw  themselves  into  the  enemy's 
outer  works.  The  Confederates  fell  back  precipi- 
tately to  their  inner  defenses,  and  the  assailing 
columns  made  nearly  three  thousand  prisoners. 

Meanwhile  General  Ord  and  General  Humphreys 
had  attacked  the  enemy's  intrenchments  at  another 
point.  These  also  were  captured.  When  the  good 
news  reached  Grant,  he  mounted  his  horse  and 
rode  to  the  front  to  join  the  troops  inside  the 
fortifications. 

General  Lee  made  desperate  efforts  to  regain 
his  line  of  outer  works.  He  sent  his  men  again 
and  again  to  the  attack.  But  in  vain.  Then  he 
called  up  General  Longstreet  with  his  division 
from  the  defenses  of  Richmond. 

When  General  Grant  heard  this  he  smiled,  and 
directed  General  Weitzel  to  watch  his  chance  for 
a  dash  into  the  Confederate  capital. 

The  people  of  Richmond  heard  the  heavy  cannon- 
ading that  Sunday  morning,  but  they  had  grown 
accustomed  to  the  sound  of  guns,  and  paid  little 


iyo  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

attention.  They  had  come  to  believe  that  General 
Lee  was  invincible.  And  so,  while  Lee's  men  were 
fighting  with  the  courage  of  despair,  the  churches 
of  Richmond  were  filling  with  their  usual  Sunday 
throng. 

The  largest  and  most  fashionable  congregation 
had  gathered  in  St.  Paul's,  for  Jefferson  Davis, 
the  president  of  the  Confederacy,  worshiped  there. 
A  hymn  had  been  given  out,  when  a  messenger 
hastily  tiptoed  up  the  aisle  to  the  president's  pew. 
He  handed  the  president  a  message. 

President  Davis  read  the  note,  and  his  face 
paled. 

It  was  from  General  Lee,  — 

"The  enemy  has  broken  my  line  in  three  places.  Rich- 
mond must  be  evacuated  to-night." 

Quietly  but  hurriedly  the  Confederate  president 
left  the  church.  He  hastened  to  his  office  and 
gave  orders  for  the  immediate  removal  of  the  seat 
of  government  to  Danville. 

The  tragic  news  quickly  spread  through  the  city. 
A  reign  of  terror  followed.  Warehouses  were  set 
on  fire  to  destroy  their  contents,  and,  the  blaze 
spreading,  the  whole  center  of  the  city  was  soon 
in  flames.  The  people  began  to  flee,  mad  with 
fright.  The  rough  element  began  plundering 
houses  and  stores. 


THE  FALL  OF  RICHMOND  171 

The  smoke  and  glare  in  the  sky  were  seen  by 
General  Weitzel,  and  at  eight  o'clock  the  following 
morning  he  and  his  men  entered  the  city.  The 
Northern  soldiers  were  followed  by  a  corps  of 
colored  troops,  who  jubilantly  sang  their  marching 
song, 

"John  Brown's  body  lies  a-moldering  in  the  grave, 
But  his  soul  goes  marching  on." 

About  the  same  time  General  Grant  was  entering 
Petersburg.  So  close  were  his  troops  on  the  heels 
of  the  flying  enemy  that  he  could  have  turned  his 
cannon  on  packed  masses  of  retreating  men.  But 
he  had  not  the  heart  nor  the  wish  to  do  so. 

In  expectation  of  the  retreat,  General  Grant 
already  had  sent  Sheridan  along  the  south  side  of 
the  Appomattox  River,  to  seize  the  road  to  Dan- 
ville ahead  of  Lee,  and  prevent  his  escape  in  that 
direction. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

THE  SURRENDER  OF  LEE 

THE  roads  were  in  a  wretched  condition  for 
marching.  But  that  now  made  no  difference  to  the 
men  of  the  Union  army.  The  end  of  the  war  was 
in  sight,  and  they  marched  jubilantly  in  pursuit  of 
the  flying  enemy,  singing,  shouting,  and  laughing. 

That  evening  two  soldiers  in  rebel  uniform,  who 
were  brought  in  as  prisoners  by  men  of  Grant's 
column,  said  they  wished  to  see  the  commanding 
general.  They  proved  to  be  Union  soldiers  from 
Sheridan's  army,  in  disguise,  and  brought  a  mes- 
sage which  one  had  carried  in  his  mouth.  The 
message  was  from  General  Sheridan,  and  read: 

"It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  for  the  success  of  the 
move  now  being  made  that  you  come  at  once  to  these  head- 
quarters. Meade  has  given  his  part  of  the  army  orders  to 
move  in  such  a  manner  that  Lee  may  break  through  and 
escape." 

General  Grant  ordered  a  fresh  horse  and  set  off 
at  once,  without  even  waiting  for  a  cup  of  coffee. 
172 


THE  SURRENDER  OF  LEE  173 

Although  Sheridan's  headquarters  were  not  more 
than  ten  miles  away,  the  General  had  to  make  a 
thirty-mile  detour,  in  order  to  pass  round  the 
enemy's  lines. 

Probably  no  single  act  of  General  Grant's  career 
better  showed  his  vigorous,  soldierly  qualities  than 
this  hasty  thirty-mile  night  ride  through  an  enemy's 
country,  entirely  unaccompanied. 

He  reached  Sheridan  about  midnight,  saw 
General  Meade,  and  countermanded  the  latter's 
orders.  He  explained  to  Meade  that  the  impor- 
tant object  was  not  the  occupation  of  Richmond,  as 
General  Meade  seemed  to  think,  but  the  capture 
of  Lee's  army. 

With  the  coming  of  morning,  the  retreat  of  the 
Confederates  and  pursuit  by  the  Northern  armies 
continued.  At  Sailor's  Creek  a  sharp  fight  took 
place  on  the  6th,  resulting  in  the  defeat  of  the 
Confederates  with  a  loss  of  1700  prisoners. 
General  Sheridan,  seeing  the  possibility  of  success, 
ended  his  report  of  the  affair  by  saying, 

"  If  the  thing  is  pressed,  I  think  Lee  will  surrender." 

Grant  forwarded  the  dispatch  to  President 
Lincoln,  who  immediately  replied, 

"  Let  the  thing  be  pressed." 


174  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

The  pursuit  continued,  and  on  the  yth  it  became 
apparent  that  the  Confederate  army  was  going  to 
pieces.  Grant  became  convinced  that  Lee  would 
be  willing  to  consider  a  proposal  to  surrender. 
With  his  usual  kindheartedness  he  began  pondering 
as  to  how  he  could  bring  about  that  end  with  the 
least  humiliation  to  his  fallen  foe. 

From  his  headquarters  on  the  piazza  of  a  little 
tavern  at  Farmville  he  sent  General  Lee  the  fol- 
lowing note  under  a  flag  of  truce : 

"The  results  of  the  last  week  must  convince  you  of  the 
hopelessness  of  further  resistance  on  the  part  of  the  Army  of 
Northern  Virginia  in  this  struggle.  I  feel  that  it  is  so,  and 
regard  it  as  my  duty  to  shift  from  myself  the  responsibility  of 
any  further  effusion  of  blood,  by  asking  of  you  the  surrender 
of  that  portion  of  the  Confederate  States  Army  known  as  the 
Army  of  Northern  Virginia." 

An  answer  came  within  an  hour  asking  terms  of 
surrender.  General  Grant's  response  to  this  was 
the  statement  that  there  was  but  one  basis  upon 
which  peace  could  be  restored  —  a  complete  surren- 
der of  the  Confederate  forces. 

Lee  held  a  council  of  war  that  night,  the  8th  of 
April.  Around  the  camp  fire  were  the  members  of 
his  staff,  including  General  Longstreet,  General 
Fitzhugh  Lee,  and  General  Gordon.  Lee  read 


THE   SURRENDER  OF  LEE  175 

the  correspondence  he  had  exchanged  with  General 
Grant,  and  said, 

"I  am  averse  to  surrendering,  but  the  situation 
demands  it.  My  desire  is  now  to  avoid  any 
further  bloodshed." 

Some  of  the  younger  generals  did  not  share  his 
views.  After  much  discussion  General  Gordon 
was  selected  to  lead  a  forlorn-hope  assault  on 
Sheridan's  cavalry,  in  the  hope  of  forcing  a  way 
of  escape.  The  attempt  was  made  early  Sunday 
morning,  the  gth.  For  a  time  the  attack  appeared 
to  be  succeeding.  Then  suddenly  the  Union 
cavalry  parted,  and  the  attacking  Confederates 
beheld  beyond  the  cavalry  a  solid  wall  of  blue- 
coated  infantry.  Their  last  hope  was  gone ! 

A  few  hours  later  General  Grant  received  from 
General  Lee  a  message  stating  that  he  was  willing 
to  discuss  terms  of  surrender.  They  met  at  a 
small  farmhouse  between  the  two  armies.  When 
Grant  entered,  the  room  was  partly  filled  with  his 
own  officers.  On  one  side  of  the  room  General 
Lee  sat  in  silence,  with  Colonel  Marshall,  his 
secretary,  beside  him. 

The  Confederate  general  was  attired  in  a  spotless 
new  uniform,  as  though  prepared  for  a  grand  re- 
view. Grant's  appearance  was  in  striking  con- 
trast. He  wore  the  uniform  of  a  private  soldier, 


176  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

except  for  the  shoulder  straps  of  a  lieutenant 
general.  The  uniform  was  stained  and  splashed 
with  mud,  and  his  trousers  were  tucked  into  muddy 
boots. 

Without  hesitation  the  Union  general  walked 
to  Lee,  and  they  shook  hands  cordially.  Grant's 
thoughtfulness  for  the  feelings  of  others  was  never 
better  shown.  Instead  of  at  once  taking  up  the 
painful  matter  in  hand,  he  spoke  of  their  former 
acquaintance  in  the  Mexican  War,  and  of  the 
curious  fact  that  not  until  this  moment  had  they 
met  again.  It  was  Lee  who  finally  brought  up  the 
purpose  of  their  coming  together.  General  Grant 
then  suggested  that  the  terms  of  surrender  be  put 
into  writing. 

A  small  table  was  brought,  and  in  pencil  Grant 
wrote  the  terms,  and  handed  the  paper  to  Lee. 

The  final  paragraph  of  this  first  draft  ran  thus :  — • 

"The  arms,  artillery,  and  public  property  to  be  parked  and 
stacked  and  turned  over  to  the  officer  appointed  by  me  to 
receive  them.  This  will  not  embrace  the  side  arms  of  the 
officers,  nor  their  private  horses  or  baggage.  This  done,  each 
officer  and  man  will  be  allowed  to  return  to  their  homes,  not 
to  be  disturbed  by  the  United  States  so  long  as  they  observe 
their  parole  and  the  laws  in  force  where  they  reside." 

The  terms  were  extremely  generous.  General 
Lee  did  not  fail  to  appreciate  the  fact. 


THE  SURRENDER  OF  LEE  177 

"This  will  have  a  most  happy  effect  upon  my 
army,"  he  said,  referring  particularly  to  the  re- 
lease of  the  horses  of  the  cavalrymen,  which  were 
the  private  property  of  the  troopers.  Grant's  idea 
was  that  the  men  could  ride  their  horses  back  to 
their  farms,  and  use  them  in  their  spring  farm  work. 

The  terms  of  the  surrender  being  agreed  upon, 
a  copy  was  made  in  ink,  and  it  was  duly  signed. 

That  evening  other  old  West  Point  classmates 
and  comrades  of  the  Mexican  War  came  from  the 
Confederate  lines  to  thank  Grant  for  his  courtesies. 
He  met  them  all  as  if  nothing  had  happened. 
Hooking  his  arm  in  that  of  General  Longstreet, 
and  calling  him  by  an  old  army  nickname,  he 
said,  "Pete,  let's  return  to  the  happy  old  days  by 
playing  a  game  of  'brag.'" 

Thus,  then  and  there,  on  the  field  of  Appomattox, 
General  Grant  began  his  great  work  of  reconcilia- 
tion and  reconstruction.  Every  order  he  issued 
showed  the  same  spirit.  He  advised  against  all 
signs  of  exultation  during  the  actual  surrender. 
"The  war  is  ended,"  he  said.  "Lee  and  his  men 
are  fellow-citizens,  of  the  same  nation,  and  are 
not  to  be  humiliated." 

General  Grant's  message  conveying  the  momen- 
tous news  of  the  surrender  to  Washington  was 
characteristically  plain  and  brief: 


178  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 


Reproduced,  by  permission  of  D.  Appleton  and  Company,  from  Frederick  T.  BiU't 
"  On  the  Trail  of  Grata  and  Lee." 


k  ^  '  -      <f  clock,  J?     M. 


.HyD.  Appleton  4  Compaut. 


CHAPTER  XX 
THE  DEATH  OF  LINCOLN 

GENERAL  GRANT  reached  Washington  on  the 
evening  of  the  i3th  of  April.  Like  the  rest  of 
the  country,  the  capital  was  ablaze  with  enthusiasm 
over  the  surrender  of  Lee,  and  the  belief  that  the 
war  was  at  an  end.  Flags  fluttered  everywhere, 
and  processions  marched  about  the  streets  singing 
and  cheering.  Every  mention  of  the  name  of 
Grant  was  the  signal  for  an  outburst  of  applause. 

In  the  midst  of  all  this  joyful  excitement  General 
Grant  arrived  in  his  usual  quiet  way.  He  slipped 
into  Willard's  Hotel  and  registered.  Few  persons 
knew  he  was  in  the  city  until  the  following  morning, 
when  notice  of  his  arrival  appeared  in  the  papers. 

When  he  left  the  hotel  he  paid  no  attention  to 
the  crowds,  and  their  demands  for  a  speech.  He 
proceeded  to  the  War  Department  and  at  once 
set  to  work  upon  plans  for  cutting  down  the  heavy 
cost  of  the  war.  He  believed  that  the  conflict 
was  over,  and  that  the  $43,000,000  a  day  which  the 
country  had  been  paying  out  should  be  immediately 
179 


i8o  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

reduced.  He  stopped  the  making  of  arms,  can- 
celed the  charters  of  useless  vessels,  and  cut  down 
the  bills  for  army  supplies. 

General  Grant  spent  a  busy  day  at  his  offi.ce, 
and  that  evening  left  with  Mrs.  Grant  for  Burling- 
ton, N.J.,  where  his  older  children  were  attending 
school.  In  hastening  away  he  had  to  decline  an 
invitation  from  President  Lincoln  to  attend  the 
theater  with  him  that  evening. 

General  Grant's  love  for  his  children,  and  his 
impatience  to  see  them,  very  possibly  saved  his 
life. 

On  the  train  late  that  night  he  was  handed  a 
telegram.  It  bore  appalling  news! 

"  The  President  has  been  assassinated.  Return 
at  once." 

General  Grant  returned  to  Washington  by  special 
train.  The  city  was  almost  in  a  panic.  An  at- 
tempt had  also  been  made  upon  the  life  of  Secretary 
of  State  Seward,  and  it  was  feared  that  the  plot 
included  the  assassination  of  General  Grant. 

Had  Grant  been  slain  with  Lincoln,  the  nation 
would  have  been  thrown  into  confusion.  When  it 
was  known  that  the  General  was  safe,  Washington 
and  the  whole  country  were  greatly  relieved  and 
thankful.  With  the  strong  hand  of  the  Lieutenant 


THE  DEATH  OF  LINCOLN  181 

General  at  the  helm  in  the  capital,  it  was  felt  that 
the  nation  was  safe. 

The  assassination  of  President  Lincoln  was  a 
great  calamity,  yet  it  had  little  effect  on  the  winding 
up  of  the  war,  thanks  to  the  wisdom  of  General 
Grant.  His  task,  however,  was  made  a  much  more 
difficult  one.  Although  the  murder  was  recognized 
as  the  act  of  a  fanatic,  and  was  as  much  condemned 
by  the  people  of  the  South  as  by  the  people  of  the 
North,  there  was  much  anger  and  resentment  in 
the  North  against  the  South.  Extremists  de- 
manded that  the  whole  South  be  punished  in  some 
way.  Secretary  of  War  Stanton  was  one  of  the 
most  bitter  on  the  subject. 

But  with  the  same  cool  judgment  and  self-re- 
straint that  he  had  shown  while  fighting  the  Con- 
federacy, Grant  now  opposed  all  harsh  demands 
for  revenge.  He  insisted  on  carrying  out  the 
terms  of  surrender  he  had  granted  to  the  army  of 
General  Lee,  and  the  similar  terms  which  General 
Sherman  had  offered  General  Johnston  and  his 
army. 

The  surrender  of  General  Johnston  was  the  cause 
of  a  particularly  sharp  difference  of  opinion  be- 
tween Secretary  of  War  Stanton  and  General  Grant. 
The  Secretary  went  so  far  as  to  charge  General 
Sherman  with  treason  in  showing  sympathy  for 


182  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

the  South.  General  Grant  warmly  defended  Sher- 
man. Finally  Grant  was  ordered  by  the  Secretary 
of  War  to  proceed  to  the  front  and  take  charge  of 
Sherman's  army  and  the  negotiations  for  the  sur- 
render of  Johnston.  Grant  went  to  the  front, 
but  he  refused  to  humiliate  Sherman  by  removing 
him  from  his  command.  He  kept  in  the  back- 
ground until  arrangements  for  the  surrender  had 
been  completed.  This  though tfulness  for  Sher- 
man's feelings  was  greatly  appreciated  by  him, 
and  bound  the  two  men  in  yet  closer  friendship. 

When  Johnston  had  surrendered,  General  Grant 
returned  to  Washington  to  complete  details  for  the 
disbanding  of  the  Union  armies.  He  was  warned 
that  he  was  in  danger  of  sharing  President  Lincoln's 
fate,  but  he  gave  little  heed  to  it,  and  went  quietly 
about  his  business,  without  guards. 

On  the  i  yth  of  May,  a  little  more  than  a  month 
after  Lincoln's  death,  an  order  was  issued  for  a 
grand  review  of  the  Union  armies  in  the  east, 
before  the  men  should  disperse  to  their  homes.  It 
was  to  be  the  greatest  military  review  in  history. 
The  number  of  men  in  line  would  be  greater  than 
the  combined  armies  of  Napoleon,  Cromwell,  and 
Caesar. 

Great  preparations  were  made  in  Washington. 
Grandstands  were  erected,  flags  and  bunting 


THE  DEATH  OF  LINCOLN  183 

streamed  from  every  building,  and  soon  the  city 
was  a  blaze  of  holiday  gayety.  The  streets  were 
thronged  with  people  in  holiday  dress,  soldiers 
were  everywhere,  and  officers  in  brilliant  uniforms 
dashed  hither  and  thither  on  handsome  chargers. 

The  23d  of  May  proved  a  perfect  day  for  the 
review.  A  stand  had  been  erected  in  front  of  the 
White  House,  and  at  an  early  hour  President 
Johnson  and  his  party  took  their  places  there. 
On  the  President's  right  sat  General  Grant  and 
Secretary  of  War  Stanton.  On  his  left  were  seats 
for  General  Sherman,  General  Meade,  and  other 
high  officers.  Around  them  were  ranks  of  ladies 
in  the  wide  hoopskirts  of  those  days. 

At  nine  o'clock  a  signal  cannon  boomed.  A  few 
minutes  later  down  the  winding  avenue  appeared 
a  broad  tide  of  blue,  and  shimmering  steel,  and 
tossing  manes.  It  was  the  cavalry  of  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac.  With  General  Meade  at  their 
head,  the  troopers  clattered  by,  seven  miles  of 
tossing  heads,  clanking  scabbards,  stained  blue 
coats  and  gleaming  sword  blades.  It  was  a  thrill- 
ing picture. 

After  the  cavalry  came  the  infantry,  a  river  of 
bayonets  and  men  in  blue  that  filled  the  street 
from  curb  to  curb  as  far  as  the  eye  could  see.  The 
uniforms  were  dusty  and  worn,  and  the  faces  were 


184  ULYSSES  S.   GRANT 

brown  and  weather-beaten.  At  intervals  fluttered 
the  tattered  battle  flags  beneath  which  so  many 
thousands  had  given  up  their  lives,  that  just  such 
a  joyous  occasion  as  this  might  be  realized. 

As  the  columns  passed  the  reviewing  stand,  the 
men  threw  their  muskets  to  the  "present,"  in  honor 
of  their  beloved  commander.  It  was  not  the  new 
President  they  saw,  but  the  quiet  little  man  beside 
him,  who  had  led  them  to  victory  and  to  the  end 
of  the  long-drawn  war. 

Hour  after  hour  the  stream  poured  by,  one  of  the 
most  magnificent  spectacles  that  human  eyes  had 
ever  beheld,  until  the  Army  of  the  Potomac, 
eighty  thousand  strong,  had  marched  on  "from 
war  into  peace." 

The  next  day  came  the  armies  of  the  west,  the 
grim,  dingy,  war-worn  soldiers  of  Sherman,  who  had 
fought  at  Shiloh,  Vicksburg,  and  Chattanooga,  and 
who  claimed  Grant  as  their  own.  Most  of  them  had 
marched  three  thousand  miles ;  some  of  them  were 
said  to  have  carried  their  muskets  seven  thousand 
miles.  Their  artillery  rumbled  after,  six  guns 
abreast ;  then  their  ambulances  and  commissariat 
wagons.  They  too  passed  on  into  peace  and  into 
history. 

Only  once  during  the  two  days  of  the  great  re- 
view did  General  Grant  allow  the  people  more  than 


THE  DEATH  OF  LINCOLN  185 

a  glimpse  of  him.  On  the  evening  of  the  first 
day  he  mounted  his  horse  and  rode  down  the  avenue 
on  a  business  trip.  He  was  recognized,  and  the 
crowds  that  thronged  the  streets  broke  into  a  roar 
of  cheering.  He  swept  by  at  a  gallop,  and  the  noise 
of  the  shouting  announced  his  coming  a  half  mile 
in  advance. 

The  disbanding  of  the  great  Union  army  was  not 
the  only  military  problem  now  confronting  General 
Grant.  During  the  years  of  the  war  an  effort  had 
been  made  by  Louis  Napoleon  of  France  to  create 
a  monarchy  in  Mexico,  with  Maximilian  of  Austria 
as  emperor.  General  Grant  believed  that  the  es- 
tablishment of  a  European  power  across  the  Rio 
Grande  would  perpetually  threaten  the  peace  of 
the  United  States.  He  determined  to  interfere, 
and  an  army  under  General  Sheridan  was  sent  to 
the  Mexican  border.  The  action  had  the  desired 
effect.  The  French  troops  were  withdrawn  from 
Mexico,  and  the  whole  scheme  of  establishing  an 
American  empire  came  to  an  end  in  the  execu- 
tion by  the  Mexicans  of  Maximilian,  the  would-be 
emperor. 

When  the  dispersal  of  the  Union  armies  was  well 
under  way,  General  Grant  sought  the  change  and 
rest  of  a  short  furlough.  He  accepted  an  invitation 
to  be  present  at  the  close  of  the  academic  year 


1 86  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

at  West  Point.  On  his  way  there  he  stopped  off 
in  New  York.  Ten  years  before  he  had  landed  in 
that  city  from  the  Pacific  coast,  penniless  and 
practically  unknown.  Now  cannon  roared  him  a 
welcome,  and  people  swarmed  about  him  wherever 
he  went.  From  the  moment  he  left  the  train 
crowds  thronged  around  him,  cheering,  and  shout- 
ing for  a  speech.  He  only  bowed  and  smiled,  and 
passed  on.  At  the  Astor  House  he  was  called  upon 
by  the  officials  of  the  city,  and  fifteen  thousand 
people  passed  by  him  and  shook  his  hand. 

His  return  to  West  Point  was  as  much  a  contrast 
as  his  return  to  New  York.  He  had  left  the 
Academy  a  brevet  second  lieutenant ;  he  returned 
as  the  commander  of  all  the  forces  of  the  United 
States,  and  recognized  as  one  of  the  world's  greatest 
generals. 

From  West  Point  General  Grant  went  to  Chicago, 
At  every  station  along  the  way  crowds  gathered 
to  see  him  pass.  Chicago's  reception  was  a  repeti- 
tion of  New  York's.  Bands  serenaded  him,  crowds 
mobbed  him,  and  orators  delivered  speeches 
lauding  him. 

An  interesting  incident  in  Chicago  was  General 
Grant's  riding  in  a  procession  on  the  old  "clay- 
bank"  horse  that  had  carried  him  through  the 
battle  of  Fort  Donelson. 


THE  DEATH  OF  LINCOLN  187 

In  two  weeks  General  Grant  was  back  in  Wash- 
ington. There  was  need  of  him.  The  President 
and  his  Cabinet  had  determined  to  arrest  the  Con- 
federate generals  Lee  and  Johnston  on  a  charge  of 
treason,  in  spite  of  the  protection  guaranteed 
them  by  Grant.  The  man  who  had  fought  them 
so  determinedly  hastened  to  their  defense. 

General  Grant's  generous  attitude  toward  the 
whole  South  was  very  clearly  shown  in  a  letter 
to  his  wife  written  a  few  weeks  previous  to  this 
date. 

'/'The  people  are  anxious  to  see  peace  restored," 
he  wrote.'  'The  suffering  that  must  exist  in  the 
South,  even  with  the  war  ending  now,  will  be  be- 
yond conception.  People  who  talk  of  further 
retaliation  and  punishment,  except  of  political 
leaders,  either  do  not  conceive  of  the  suffering  en- 
dured already,  or  they  are  heartless  and  unfeeling, 
and  wish  to  stay  at  home,  out  of  danger,  while  the 
punishment  is  being  inflicted." 

General  Grant  was  well  fitted  for  the  r61e  of 
peacemaker  which  he  was  destined  to  play.  His 
early  life  had  been  spent  in  a  town  that  was  half 
Northern  and  half  Southern ;  at  West  Point  and 
in  the  army  he  had  associated  with  many  young 
Southerners.  And  his  wife  was  a  "daughter 
of  the  South."  He  had  gone  into  war  without 


1 88  ULYSSES  S.   GRANT 

hate,  believing  that  the  Southern  people  were  as 
honestly  convinced  of  the  justice  of  their  cause 
as  were  the  people  of  the  North,  and  yet  himself 
convinced  that  they  were  mistaken. 

On  the  other  hand,  President  Johnson,  Presi- 
dent Lincoln's  successor,  was  an  extremist,  a  man 
who  hated  the  "aristocracy  of  the  South."  His 
unexpected  rise  to  the  presidency  had  turned  his 
head,  and  his  first  resolution  had  been  "to  make 
treason  odious"  —  to  punish  the  South  severely. 

General  Grant  carried  his  protest  against  the  ar- 
rest of  General  Lee  and  General  Johnston  before 
the  Cabinet.  "The  people  of  the  North  do  not 
wish  to  inflict  torture  on  the  people  of  the  South," 
he  declared. 

The  President  was  not  to  be  moved.  "  When  can 
these  men  be  tried  ?  "  he  demanded. 

"Never,"  replied  General  Grant  resolutely, 
"unless  they  violate  their  parole." 

President  Johnson  demanded  to  know  by  what 
right  a  military  commander  could  interfere  "  to  pro- 
tect an  archtraitor  from  the  law"? 

It  was  one  of  the  few  occasions  on  which  General 
Grant  was  known  to  have  become  angry. 

"As  general,  it  is  none  of  my  business  what  you 
or  Congress  do  with  General  Lee  or  other  com- 
manders," he  responded  sharply.  "You  may  do 


THE  DEATH  OF  LINCOLN  189 

as  you  please  about  civil  rights,  confiscation  of 
property;  that  does  not  come  into  my  province. 
But  a  general  commanding  troops  has  certain 
responsibilities,  and  duties,  and  powers,  which 
are  supreme.  ...  I  have  made  certain  terms  with 
Lee  —  the  best  and  only  terms.  If  I  had  told  him 
and  his  army  .  .  .  that  they  would  be  open  to 
arrest,  trial,  and  execution  for  treason,  Lee  would 
never  have  surrendered,  and  we  should  have  lost 
many  lives  in  destroying  him.  Now,  my  terms  of 
surrender  were  according  to  military  law,  and  so 
long  as  General  Lee  observes  his  parole  I  will  never 
consent  to  his  arrest.  I  will  resign  the  command 
of  the  army  rather  than  execute  any  order  directing 
me  to  arrest  Lee,  or  any  of  his  commanders,  so 
long  as  they  obey  the  laws." 

This  declaration  of  General  Grant  was  successful, 
and  the  arrest  of  Generals  Lee  and  Johnston  was 
never  again  suggested. 


CHAPTER  XXI 
PRESIDENT  GRANT 

EARLY  in  July,  accompanied  by  Mrs.  Grant, 
General  Grant  left  Washington  on  a  vacation  trip. 
He  visited  Boston,  where  he  was  given  a  great  re- 
ception in  historic  Faneuil  Hall,  then  toured  Maine 
and  Quebec,  and  passed  on  through  Canada  west- 
ward. During  the  journey  through  Canada,  the 
Canadians,  some  fifty  thousand  of  whom  had 
fought  on  the  side  of  the  North  in  the  great  war, 
greeted  the  General  almost  as  enthusiastically  as 
the  citizens  of  his  own  country. 

The  chief  event  of  the  holiday  trip,  however, 
was  the  welcome  given  him  in  his  home  town, 
Galena,  Illinois.  The  town,  which  was  crowded 
with  visitors  from  all  over  the  state,  was  gay  with 
flags,  and  over  the  principal  street  two  great  trium- 
phal arches  had  been  built.  One  of  these  bore  the 
amusing  and  unusual  words : 


GENERAL,  THE  SIDEWALK  IS  BUILT. 


The  explanation  was  as  follows :    During  the 
previous  year,  when  some  one  had  suggested  to 
190 


PRESIDENT  GRANT  191 

Grant  the  possibility  of  his  becoming  a  candidate 
for  the  presidency,  he  had  replied,  "I  am  not  a 
candidate  for  any  office,  but  I  would  like  to  be 
mayor  of  Galena  long  enough  to  fix  the  sidewalks, 
especially  the  one  reaching  my  house." 

Not  only  had  the  new  sidewalk  been  built,  but  a 
new  home  for  the  General  and  his  family  had  also 
been  provided,  a  house  completely  furnished  and 
ready  for  occupancy  —  a  generous  and  beautiful 
recognition  of  his  services  by  his  "home  town." 

General  Grant  spent  several  weeks  in  Galena, 
greatly  enjoying  the  quiet  village  life,  after  the 
long  strife  and  hardships  of  the  war  and  the  bustle 
at  Washington.  On  Sunday  he  delighted  to  walk 
with  Mrs.  Grant  to  the  little  church,  and  to  sit  in 
the  little  hard-board  pew  they  had  occupied  four 
years  before. 

On  his  way  eastward  General  Grant  visited  his 
father  and  mother  at  Covington.  During  his  stay 
he  one  morning  took  a  team  to  drive  over  to  Bethel, 
the  home  to  which  he  had  returned  when  on  his 
first  furlough  from  West  Point.  Word  of  his  com- 
ing preceded  him  in  some  way.  A  committee  of 
prominent  citizens  was  hurriedly  appointed  to  go 
out  and  meet  the  distinguished  visitor.  They 
looked  for  a  party  of  officers  in  handsome  uniforms, 
and  when  they  had  gone  some  miles  and  had  seen 


192  ULYSSES  S.   GRANT 

no  signs  of  such  a  cavalcade,  they  decided  that 
the  party  must  have  taken  another  road.  While 
they  were  discussing  the  matter,  there  approached 
a  smallish  man  driving  a  light  surrey.  They 
stopped  him  and  asked,  "Did  you  hear  anything 
of  General  Grant  as  you  came  along  ?  " 

"Yes;  he's  on  the  way,"  replied  the  stranger, 
and  passed  on,  chuckling.  Of  course  it  was  the 
General  himself.  It  was  a  discomfited  reception 
committee  that  arrived  hi  town  some  time  after 
their  guest. 

When  General  Grant  returned  to  Washington  he 
found  himself  in  the  midst  of  new  problems.  Great 
questions  were  being  discussed  —  the  huge  public 
debt  left  by  the  war,  the  protection  and  enfran- 
chisement of  the  negroes  in  the  South,  and  the  many 
puzzling  problems  of  "reconstruction."  Also,  poli- 
ticians were  planning  for  the  next  presidential 
election. 

President  Johnson,  Stanton,  Seward,  Sumner, 
and  many  others  were  working  to  secure  the  nomi- 
nation. Johnson  endeavored  to  use  General  Grant 
to  forward  his  interests.  When  Grant's  words 
and  acts  promised  to  help  him,  the  President  ap- 
propriated their  credit  to  himself ;  when  they  did 
not,  he  distorted  them,  and  secretly  sought  to 
undermine  and  discredit  the  General.  Previously 


PRESIDENT  GRANT  193 

he  had  called  for  the  punishment  of  the  South  for 
the  war;  now,  believing  the  South  might  help 
him  to  win  the  presidency,  he  was  granting  extraor- 
dinary and  dangerous  privileges  to  the  conquered 
states,  without  the  sanction  of  Congress. 

This  course  greatly  added  to  the  difficulties  of 
the  situation.  And  as  the  South  was  still  under 
martial  law,  the  weight  of  the  burden  fell  on 
the  shoulders  of  the  commander  in  chief,  General 
Grant.  As  always,  he  bore  his  troubles  uncom- 
plainingly. 

All  through  the  summer  of  1866  President  John- 
son continued  to  seek  the  support  of  the  South, 
hoping  to  win  its  backing,  and  at  the  same  time 
please  the  Democratic  party  in  the  North.  Finally 
he  brought  upon  himself  a  storm  of  denunciation. 

He  sought  to  put  himself  right  before  the  people 
of  the  North,  and  made  a  trip  to  Chicago,  seemingly 
for  the  purpose  of  laying  the  foundation  stone  of 
the  Douglas  monument,  but  really  for  the  oppor- 
tunity of  making  speeches.  In  order  to  appear  to 
have  the  support  of  Grant,  he  requested  the  Gen- 
eral to  accompany  him. 

The  result  was  unexpected.  The  President  be- 
gan his  tour  late  in  August,  speaking  first  at  Balti- 
more and  Philadelphia.  And  at  once  it  was  evident 
that  not  the  President,  but  General  Grant  was  the 


194  ULYSSES  S.   GRANT 

chief  attraction  to  the  public.  Everywhere  the 
heartiest  cheers  were  for  him.  Wherever  he  went 
the  people  cried,  "  Grant !  Grant ! " 

As  the  President  went  westward  the  eceptions 
grew  cooler  for  the  chief  executive  and  Banner  for 
the  general.  Frequently  when  Grant  did  not  show 
himself  in  response  to  calls,  the  crowds  insisted, 
and  continued  shouting  his  name  until  he  appeared. 
In  Cleveland,  Chicago,  Pittsburgh,  and  St.  Louis 
it  was  the  same.  The  meetings  merely  served  as 
popular  receptions  for  Grant. 

During  the  bitter  struggle  which  continued 
between  President  Johnson  and  Congress,  over  the 
President's  alleged  favoritism  toward  the  South, 
and  which  finally  resulted  in  the  impeachment  trial 
of  President  Johnson,  General  Grant  remained 
unchanged.  He  was  impartial  and  conscientious, 
and  strove  to  do  everything  in  his  power  to  es- 
tablish peace  and  friendship  between  the  North 
and  the  South.  And  two  years  later,  when  the 
Republican  national  convention  assembled  in 
Chicago  to  nominate  a  candidate  for  the  presi- 
dency, but  one  name  was  submitted  —  Ulysses  S. 
Grant. 

The  nomination  was  one  of  the  most  notable 
occasions  in  the  country's  political  history.  Nearly 
all  the  great  commanders  of  the  war  were  there, 


PRESIDENT  GRANT  195 

enthusiastic  for  their  great  chief.  The  delegates 
could  hardly  take  time  for  the  opening  formalities, 
so  eager  were  they  to  honor  Grant.  When  nomina- 
tions were  at  last  called  for,  General  Logan  rose 
and  said : 

"Then,  sir,  in  the  name  of  the  loyal  citizens  and 
soldiers  and  sailors  of  this  great  republic,  in  the 
name  of  loyalty,  liberty,  humanity,  and  justice,  I 
nominate  as  candidate  for  the  chief  magistracy 
of  this  nation,  Ulysses  S.  Grant." 

The  enthusiasm  that  followed  was  boundless. 
The  audience  leaped  to  its  feet  as  one  man,  and 
cheered  again  and  again.  So  complete  was  the 
feeling  of  the  convention  that  a  delegate  from 
South  Carolina,  when  he  could  make  himself 
heard,  moved  that  the  vote  be  taken  by  acclama- 
tion. But  the  reply  was  "No  !  No  !"  The  states 
wanted  an  opportunity  to  further  express  their 
enthusiasm,  and  a  call  of  the  roll  was  demanded. 

Alabama  gave  eighteen  votes  for  Grant.  The 
spokesman  for  California  shouted,  "We  come  here 
two  thousand  miles  to  cast  our  vote  for  General 
Grant!"  Colorado  said,  "The  Rocky  Mountains 
of  Colorado  bring  Grant  all  they  have  —  six 
votes."  Georgia  cast  eighteen  votes,  "heartily 
desiring  to  speed  the  restoration  of  the  Union." 
Kansas  gave  him  six  votes  "from  the  state  of  John 


296  ULYSSES  S.   GRANT 

Brown."  Ohio  cast  "forty- two  votes  for  her  illus- 
trious son."  Virginia,  "rising  from  the  grave  that 
General  Grant  dug  for  her  at  Appomattox  in  1865," 
brought  him  twenty  votes.  And  so  the  voting 
went  on  with  like  expressions  of  boundless  en- 
thusiasm. 

The  chairman  announced  the  result:  "Gentle- 
men of  the  convention,  the  roll  is  completed.  You 
have  six  hundred  and  fifty  votes,  and  you  have 
given  six  hundred  and  fifty  votes  for  Ulysses  S. 
Grant." 

The  delegates  again  rose  and  cheered  themselves 
hoarse,  while  a  curtain  at  the  rear  of  the  stage 
ascended,  and  added  to  the  tumult  by  disclosing 
a  portrait  of  the  General,  supported  by  the  Goddess 
of  Liberty,  with  the  motto  above,  "Match  him  !" 

In  the  campaign  that  followed  General  Grant 
himself  took  no  part.  His  party  managers  sought 
to  persuade  him  to  make  a  speaking  tour,  but  he 
steadfastly  declined.  "If  the  people  wish  to 
make  me  President,  they  will  do  so,"  he  said. 

And  as  we  know,  they  did. 


CHAPTER  XXH 

EIGHT  YEARS  IN  THE  WHITE  HOUSE 

GENERAL  GRANT'S  unaffected  manner  did  not 
leave  him  when  he  entered  the  White  House,  after 
simple  inauguration  ceremonies  on  the  4th  of 
March.  Indeed,  there  has  not  been  at  the  head  of 
the  nation  a  truer  representative  of  its  demo- 
cratic life  than  President  Grant. 

He  went  about  unattended,  and  the  humblest 
of  his  old  friends  from  Galena  or  Georgetown  was 
as  welcome  at  the  executive  mansion  as  the  greatest 
social  leader,  or  the  most  distinguished  visitor 
from  abroad.  He  dressed  simply  on  all  occasions. 
It  was  some  time  before  he  would  consent  to  wear 
conventional  evening  dress,  and  the  white  tie,  which 
he  especially  disliked.  But  when  he  understood 
the  importance  attached  to  formal  visits  among 
high  government  officials,  he  insisted  that  they 
should  be  paid  and  returned  strictly  according  to 
usage.  He  had  no  wish  to  offend  social  custom. 

An  English  newspaper  correspondent  who  visited 
the  new  President  was  surprised  to  find  the  Capitol 
grounds  unguarded  and  the  gates  unlocked,  "as 
197 


198  ULYSSES  S.   GRANT 

if  the  United  States  were  peopled  with  none  but 
honest  men  and  friends." 

"Like  all  great  men,"  the  correspondent  wrote, 
"he  is  simplicity  itself.  I  had  heard  a  great  deal 
of  the  gallant  soldier,  but  I  never  felt  more  im- 
pressed. He  talks  little.  If  possible,  he  receives 
every  one.  I  found  this  great  man  affable  and 
just  in  his  remarks,  courteous  in  his  demeanor,  and 
the  mode  in  which  he  shakes  hands  told  me  at 
once  of  his  sincerity  and  honesty.  None  of  his 
portraits  do  him  justice.  His  head  is  larger  than 
any  of  the  portraits  represent.  His  beard  is  fair, 
and  there  is  a  peculiar  softness  in  his  eyes.  And 
in  the  few  sentences  with  which  he  favored  me  I 
perceived  the  most  robust  common  sense.  I  left 
the  executive  mansion  convinced  that  the  United 
States  had  an  honest  man  at  its  head  —  a  soldier 
with  an  iron  will." 

President  Grant's  loyalty  to  his  friends  of 
humbler  days,  and  to  his  comrades  of  the  army, 
was  a  cause  of  some  criticism.  He  had  always 
disliked  and  mistrusted  professional  politicians ; 
and  now  he  not  unnaturally  passed  over  such  men 
in  filling  the  many  new  appointments  that  were 
to  be  made.  Many  offices  were  given  to  soldiers, 
and  he  was  soon  charged  with  running  what  was 
called  a  "military  government." 


EIGHT  YEARS  IN  THE  WHITE  HOUSE     199 

An  appointment  which  showed  President  Grant 
in  his  usual  generous  r61e,  but  which  caused  es- 
pecial faultfinding,  was  the  naming  of  the  Con- 
federate General  James  Longstreet  to  be  surveyor 
of  the  port  of  New  Orleans. 

One  of  the  most  important  questions  of  Grant's 
first  year  as  President  was  the  annexation  of  Santo 
Domingo.  The  people  of  the  island  had  asked  to 
be  made  a  part  of  the  United  States,  and  Grant  was 
favorable  to  the  idea.  He  believed  that  the  annex- 
ing of  the  island  would  help  solve  the  negro  ques- 
tion in  the  South ;  that  the  negroes  would  emigrate 
thither  in  large  numbers,  and  that  the  lessened 
number  remaining  would  receive  better  treatment. 
The  plan  met  with  strong  opposition,  particularly 
from  Senator  Sumner,  who  charged  that  Grant 
proposed  the  plan  because  he  had  business  interests 
in  Santo  Domingo. 

The  annexation  move  was  rejected,  but  five 
months  later  President  Grant  brought  the  matter 
up  again,  and  asked  for  an  investigation  of  the  whole 
question  by  a  committee.  He  had  been  accused, 
he  said,  and  he  demanded  that  Sumner's  charges 
be  taken  up  and  sifted.  A  commission  was  ap- 
pointed, and  an  investigation  held. 

Speaking  to  Andrew  D.  White,  the  president  of 
the  commission,  the  President  said  : 


200  ULYSSES  S.   GRANT 

"As  President  of  the  United  States  I  have  no 
orders  to  give  you.  My  duty  as  President  ended 
with  your  nomination.  As  a  man  I  have  a  right 
to  give  some  instructions.  It  has  been  publicly 
charged  that  I  am  connected  with  transactions  in 
the  Island  of  Santo  Domingo  looking  to  my  personal 
advantage.  Now,  as  a  man,  I  charge  you  strictly 
that  if  you  find  that  I  am,  directly  or  indirectly, 
in  the  least  degree,  connected  with  any  such  trans- 
actions in  the  Island  of  Santo  Domingo,  drag  me 
forth  and  expose  me  fully  to  the  American  people." 

The  commissioners  unanimously  sustained  the 
President,  and  exonerated  him  from  any  complicity 
with  the  transactions  referred  to. 

Meantime  the  administration  under  President 
Grant  had  carried  out  many  other  beneficial 
measures.  At  his  recommendation,  civil  service 
examinations  were  substituted  for  appointment 
through  political  influence  to  certain  government 
offices;  the  claims  against  England  arising  from 
the  fitting  out  in  an  English  port  of  the  Confederate 
warship  Alabama  were  settled  by  arbitration;  the 
Fifteenth  Amendment,  compelling  the  Southern 
states  to  acknowledge  the  political  rights  of  the 
negro,  was  passed;  and  meanwhile  the  famous 
Ku  Klux  Klan,  the  lawless  organization  which 
sought  by  violence  to  prevent  the  emancipated 


EIGHT  YEARS  IN  THE  WHITE  HOUSE     201 

slaves  from  asserting  their  independence,  was 
being  suppressed  with  firmness.  Other  important 
developments  were  the  readmission  into  the  Union, 
early  in  1870,  of  the  states  of  Virginia,  Georgia, 
Mississippi,  and  Texas. 

The  cares  of  office  did  not  affect  the  President  in 
his  private  life.  He  continued  as  considerate  and 
thoughtful  of  his  wife,  and  as  fond  of  the  company  of 
his  children.  He  could  always  be  interested  in 
other  young  people  as  well.  A  group  of  boys  who 
were  in  the  habit  of  playing  baseball  behind  the 
White  House  frequently  had  him  for  a  spectator. 
Sometimes  he  would  umpire  their  games,  and  oc- 
casionally would  even  take  a  hand  at  the  bat,  to 
the  delight  of  the  boys.  "After  playing  for  a 
while,"  recalled  one  of  them,  "he  would  put 
his  hands  behind  him,  and  stroll  away  down  the 
avenue.  He  seemed  a  kind  and  fatherly  man  to 
us." 

Those  were  days  of  extreme  political  feeling  and 
of  "political  mud  slinging"  which,  happily,  have 
almost  passed.  Public  speakers  and  newspapers 
made  the  most  extravagant  charges  against  their 
political  opponents,  in  an  endeavor  to  blacken 
their  characters.  From  such  attacks  even  as 
kindly  and  straightforward  a  man  as  President 
Grant  could  not  escape. 


202  ULYSSES  S.   GRANT 

He  was  very  fond  of  Long  Branch,  New  Jersey, 
and  spent  his  summer  vacations  there  with  his 
family.  He  still  loved  horses,  and  was  often  to 
be  seen  driving  a  handsome  team  over  the  New 
Jersey  roads.  This  provided  certain  newspapers 
with  material  for  exaggeration.  His  turnouts 
were  described  as  the  most  magnificent  ever  seen. 
The  brass  mountings  of  the  harness  were  declared 
to  be  gold.  Two  modest  cottages  which  he  built 
were  spoken  of  as  expensive  mansions. 

The  particular  purpose  of  the  attacks  was  to  show 
that  he  was  fond  of  fast  horses  and  fast  living.  He 
was  said  to  "show  already  the  effects  of  the  larder 
and  the  wine  cellar."  Cartoonists  represented 
him  as  a  heavy,  sullen-faced  man,  followed  about 
by  two  sullen  bull  pups.  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
Grant  never  owned  a  dog  in  his  life,  and  did  not 
care  for  them. 

The  first  serious  charge  made  against  President 
Grant  arose  in  September,  during  his  first  year  in 
the  White  House.  A  number  of  stockbrokers 
arranged  a  " corner"  in  gold,  which  resulted  in  a 
business  panic.  Quite  innocently  the  President 
had  allowed  himself  to  accept  the  hospitality  of 
two  of  the  leaders  involved  in  the  "corner,"  and  the 
visit  was  used  to  implicate  him.  At  the  time  of 
the  panic  the  President  was  visiting  a  cousin  in 


EIGHT  YEARS  IN  THE   WHITE  HOUSE     203 

Washington,  Pennsylvania,  some  distance  from 
the  railroad,  and  knew  nothing  of  the  disturbance 
until  it  was  at  its  height.  He  returned  to  the  capi- 
tal immediately,  and  ordered  the  Treasury  to  sell 
five  million  dollars  of  gold.  This  relieved  the 
market,  and  broke  the  panic. 

In  spite  of  the  attacks  made  upon  him,  President 
Grant  lost  none  of  his  popularity  with  the  people 
of  the  country.  When  the  second  year  of  his  ad- 
ministration had  passed,  and  his  popularity  con- 
tinued, it  was  seen  that  he  would  be  a  natural  can- 
didate for  a  second  term.  His  political  opponents 
thereupon  began  working  up  sentiment  to  prevent 
his  renomination,  using  the  cry  "Anything  to  beat 
Grant."  A  campaign  of  falsehood  was  brought 
to  a  climax  in  a  speech  by  Senator  Sumner  before 
the  United  States  Senate. 

Among  other  ridiculous  charges,  Sumner  de- 
clared the  nation  to  be  in  great  peril  because  of 
the  desire  of  Grant  to  become  a  permanent  dictator 
of  the  country's  policies. 

The  charges  had  no  effect.  When  the  nominat- 
ing convention  met  in  Philadelphia,  the  enthusiasm 
for  Grant  was  as  great  as  that  shown  by  the  Chicago 
convention  four  years  before,  and  he  was  named 
by  acclamation  to  run  again  for  the  presidency. 

During  the  campaign  that  followed,  the  charges 


204  ULYSSES  S.   GRANT 

made  against  the  President  by  his  enemies  exceeded 
all  their  previous  efforts.  It  is  difficult  to-day  to 
believe  that  a  man  who  had  been  so  useful  to  his 
country  could  be  made  the  target  of  such  slanders. 
His  life  was  searched  through  for  every  act  which 
might  be  distorted  to  his  discredit.  His  words 
were  misquoted  and  made  to  appear  falsehoods. 
Cartoonists  went  to  the  limit  of  coarseness  in  cari- 
caturing him.  One  always  represented  him  as  a 
drunkard  wearing  a  crown.  This  was  to  carry  out 
the  idea  of  his  alleged  wish  to  become  the  "dic- 
tator" of  the  country. 

One  of  the  most  absurd  charges  against  him  was 
that  he  was  already  the  richest  President  since  the 
time  of  Washington.  As  a  matter  of  fact  Grant 
had  saved  comparatively  little ;  but  for  Mrs.  Grant 
he  probably  would  have  saved  nothing  at  all. 

During  all  this  period,  although  he  suffered 
keenly,  President  Grant  remained  silent.  The 
answer  to  all  his  enemies  came  from  the  people,  in 
his  triumphant  reelection. 

The  chief  thought  in  President  Grant's  second 
inaugural  address  was  again  the  restoration  of 
friendship  between  all  sections  of  the  country. 
To  this  wish  he  added  a  larger  hope  which  showed 
a  breadth  of  interest  wider  even  than  his  own 
country.  "The  great  Governor  of  the  World,"  said 


EIGHT  YEARS  IN  THE  WHITE  HOUSE     205 

the  President,  "is  preparing  the  nations  of  the  earth 
to  become  one  nation,  speaking  one  language; 
and  the  time  is  coming  when  armies  and  navies 
will  no  longer  be  required." 

The  troubles  of  reconstruction  were  by  no  means 
over  in  the  South.  Rioting  occurred  in  the  streets 
of  New  Orleans  between  the  "White  Democracy" 
and  what  was  called  the  "carpet-bag"  element 
from  the  North  —  "grafters,"  as  they  would  be 
termed  to-day  —  who  secured  their  ends  through 
the  ignorant  negro  voters.  The  President  ex- 
pressed his  sympathy  for  the  people  of  the  South, 
but  resolutely  upheld  the  laws  passed  for  the  pur- 
pose of  bringing  order  out  of  chaos.  "Treat  the 
negro  as  a  citizen  and  a  voter,  for  such  he  is  and 
must  remain,"  he  declared,  "and  politics  will  be 
divided,  not  on  the  color  line,  but  on  principle." 

The  President  saw  that  the  Southern  whites 
were  not  altogether  to  be  blamed.  Under  the 
lead  of  the  "carpet  baggers,"  ignorant  negro 
assemblymen  had  passed  scandalous  appropriation 
bills.  Nevertheless,  as  the  President  said,  the 
Southerners  had  brought  these  things  upon  them- 
selves by  refusing  to  recognize  the  rights  of  the 
negroes,  and  by  rejecting  the  Fourteenth  Amend- 
ment, with  its  necessary  and  just  reduction  of 
Southern  political  power. 


206  ULYSSES  S.   GRANT 

"Henceforth  there  will  be  no  child's  play,"  he 
declared ;  "  the  laws  will  be  executed,  and  the  peace 
will  be  maintained  in  every  street  and  highway 
of  the  United  States." 

The  people  of  the  South  knew  Grant  was  a 
man  of  his  word,  and  this  clear,  determined 
statement  brought  the  reign  of  lawlessness  to  an 
end. 

From  this  time  on  conditions  steadily  improved, 
and  the  feeling  between  the  two  sections  of  the 
country  became  kindlier.  In  his  message  to  Con- 
gress in  1875  President  Grant  stated  that  the  time 
had  come  to  withdraw  all  federal  interference  with 
state  affairs  in  the  South;  that  the  people  there 
could  now  be  left  to  work  out  their  problems  in 
their  own  way. 

The  announcement  meant  that  with  the  drawing 
to  a  close  of  Grant's  second  term,  the  great  work  of 
reconstruction  —  the  most  difficult  task  that  had 
ever  faced  a  President  of  the  United  States  —  had 
been  practically  completed. 

Up  to  the  end  of  his  eight  years  in  the  White 
House,  more  or  less  faultfinding  with  President 
Grant  continued.  But  as  soon  as  his  term  was 
ended  there  was  a  change  of  feeling  to  such  friendli- 
ness that  Grant  was  surprised  and  greatly  affected. 
As  at  the  conclusion  of  the  war,  wherever  he  went 


EIGHT  YEARS  IN  THE  WHITE  HOUSE    207 

he  was  received  with  the  greatest  enthusiasm,  and 
all  manner  of  social  functions  were  held  in  his 
honor. 

The  great  things  he  had  accomplished  were  thus 
finally  recognized. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

THE  TRIP  ABROAD 

Now  that  the  burdens  of  the  presidency  were 
off  his  shoulders,  General  Grant  determined  to 
take  a  real  vacation.  It  was  due  him.  Since 
the  beginning  of  the  war,  now  sixteen  years 
past,  he  had  had  scarcely  a  day  when  he  was 
entirely  free. 

For  years  he  had  wished  to  travel.  He  decided 
on  a  trip  abroad ;  and  in  the  month  of  May,  with 
Mrs.  Grant  and  his  third  son,  Jesse  Grant,  he  sailed 
from  Philadelphia  on  the  steamship  Indiana. 
Great  crowds  saw  him  off,  and  waved  farewells 
from  the  wharves  and  the  decks  of  a  fleet  of  vessels 
that  accompanied  the  Indiana  down  the  bay. 

After  a  rough  passage,  which  proved  the  General 
to  be  a  good  sailor,  the  Indiana  arrived  at  Liver- 
pool. Here,  to  General  Grant's  surprise,  he  found 
the  ships  in  the  harbor  covered  with  flags,  and  the 
docks  crowded  with  people,  cheering  and  waving 
him  a  welcome.  His  surprise  was  increased  when 
on  landing  he  was  met  by  the  mayor  of  Liverpool, 


THE  TRIP  ABROAD  209 

and  was  made  a  guest  of  the  city.  He  had  not 
anticipated  such  a  reception  in  England. 

In  welcoming  him  the  mayor  spoke  briefly, 
but  in  warm  admiration. 

"  General  Grant,"  he  said,  "  I  am  proud  that  it  has 
fallen  to  my  lot,  as  Chief  Magistrate  of  Liverpool, 
to  welcome  to  the  shores  of  England  so  distinguished 
a  citizen  of  the  United  States.  You  have,  sir, 
stamped  your  name  on  the  history  of  the  world 
by  your  brilliant  career  as  a  soldier,  and  still  more 
as  a  statesman  in  the  interests  of  peace.  In  the 
name  of  Liverpool,  whose  interests  are  so  closely 
allied  with  jour  great  country,  I  bid  you  heartily 
welcome,  and  I  hope  Mrs.  Grant  and  yourself  will 
enjoy  your  visit  to  Old  England." 

On  the  following  day  General  Grant  and  his 
party  were  shown  the  sights  of  the  city  and  the 
great  docks,  and  were  then  tendered  a  banquet. 
Later  a  reception  was  held,  at  which  some  ten 
thousand  persons  met  the  distinguished  American. 

A  similar  hearty  welcome  awaited  General  Grant 
at  the  great  manufacturing  city  of  Manchester. 

During  the  Civil  War  the  people  of  Manchester 
had  suffered  severely  through  the  closing  of  their 
cotton  mills,  as  a  result  of  the  blockade  of  Southern 
cotton  ports.  Nevertheless  the  city  had  shown 
strong  sympathy  for  the  Northern  cause,  notably 


210  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

by  the  holding  of  several  great  mass  meetings 
to  express  their  opposition  to  slavery.  General 
Grant  did  not  fail  to  recall  this  fact  in  respond- 
ing to  the  mayor's  address  of  welcome. 

From  Manchester  the  General  proceeded  to  Lon- 
don, stopping  on  the  way  at  Leicester  and  Bedford. 

A  letter  written  by  General  Grant  after  his 
arrival  in  London  is  interesting,  as  showing  the 
impression  made  upon  him  by  his  reception  in 
England.  The  letter  was  addressed  to  a  close 
friend,  George  W.  Childs,  of  Philadelphia.  In  part 
it  read  as  follows :  — 

"I  had  proposed  to  leave  Liverpool  immediately 
on  arrival  and  proceed  to  London,  where  I  knew 
our  Minister  had  made  arrangements  for  the  formal 
reception,  and  had  accepted  for  me  a  few  invita- 
tions of  courtesy.  But  what  was  my  surprise  to  find 
nearly  all  the  shipping  in  port  at  Liverpool  dec- 
orated with  flags  of  all  nations,  and  from  the  main- 
mast of  each  the  flag  of  the  Union  most  conspic- 
uous. The  docks  were  lined  with  as  many  of  the 
population  as  could  find  standing  room,  and  the 
streets  to  the  hotel  where  it  was  understood  my 
party  would  stop  were  packed.  The  demonstra- 
tion was,  to  all  appearances,  as  hearty  and  as 
enthusiastic  as  in  Philadelphia  on  our  departure. 
The  Mayor  was  present  with  his  state  carriage,  to 


THE  TRIP  ABROAD  211 

convey  us  to  the  hotel;  and  after  that  he  took 
us  to  his  beautiful  country  residence,  some  six 
miles  out,  where  we  were  entertained  with  a  small 
party  of  gentlemen,  and  remained  over  night. 
The  following  day  a  large  party  was  given  at  the 
official  residence  of  the  Mayor  in  the  city,  at 
which  there  were  some  one  hundred  and  fifty  of 
the  distinguished  citizens  and  officials  of  the  cor- 
poration present.  Pressing  invitations  were  sent 
from  most  of  the  cities  in  the  kingdom  to  have  me 
visit  them.  I  accepted  for  a  day  at  Manchester, 
and  stopped  a  few  moments  at  Leicester  and  at 
one  other  place.  The  same  hearty  welcome  was 
shown  at  each  place.  ...  I  appreciate  the  fact, 
and  am  proud  of  it,  that  the  attentions  I  am  re- 
ceiving are  intended  more  for  our  country  than  for 
me  personally.  I  love  to  see  our  country  honored 
and  respected  abroad,  and  I  am  proud  that  it  is 
respected  by  most  all  nations,  and  by  some  even 
loved.  It  has  always  been  my  desire  to  see  all 
jealousies  between  England  and  the  United  States 
abated,  and  every  sore  healed.  Together,  they 
are  more  powerful  for  the  spread  of  commerce  and 
civilization  than  all  others  combined,  and  can  do 
more  to  remove  causes  of  war  by  creating  mutual 
interests  that  would  be  so  much  endangered  by 


212  ULYSSES  S.   GRANT 

On  the  morning  after  his  arrival  in  London, 
General  Grant  was  formally  introduced  to  the 
Prince  of  Wales,  later  King  Edward  VII.  Invita- 
tions to  countless  dinners  and  receptions  followed, 
and  on  June  15  he  was  presented  with  the  freedom 
of  the  City  of  London,  the  greatest  formal  honor 
that  Europe  has  to  offer. 

The  ceremonies  were  most  imposing,  and  took 
place  in  the  historic  old  Guildhall,  in  the  presence 
of  eight  hundred  invited  guests.  The  freedom  — 
a  document  declaring  General  Grant  to  be  an 
honorary  citizen,  or  freeman,  of  the  city  —  was 
presented  in  a  golden  casket.  This  was  a  small 
but  beautifully  designed  box  of  gold,  supported 
at  the  corners  by  four  golden  eagles  and  at  the  ends 
by  two  female  figures  representing  the  City  of 
London  and  the  American  Republic.  On  one  side 
was  a  panel  showing  a  view  of  the  Capitol  at 
Washington,  and  on  the  other  a  picture  of  the 
Guildhall.  The  cover  was  surmounted  by  the 
city's  crest. 

The  address  accompanying  the  presentation  paid 
General  Grant  many  sincere  tributes,  both  as  a 
general  and  as  a  president. 

"We  not  only  recognize  in  you  a  citizen  of  the 
United  States,  but  one  who  has  made  a  distin- 
guished mark  in  American  history,"  said  the 


THE  TRIP  ABROAD  213 

Lord  Mayor,  "a  soldier  whose  military  capabilities 
brought  him  to  the  front  in  the  hour  of  his  country's 
sorest  trial,  and  enabled  him  to  strike  the  blow 
which  terminated  fratricidal  war  and  reunited 
his  distracted  country;  who  also  manifested 
magnanimity  in  the  hour  of  triumph,  and  amidst 
the  national  indignation  created  by  the  assassina- 
tion of  the  great  and  good  Abraham  Lincoln,  by 
obtaining  for  vanquished  adversaries  the  rights 
of  capitulated  brothers  in  arms,  when  some  would 
have  treated  them  as  traitors  to  their  coun- 
try.  .  .  ." 

General  Grant's  response  was  characteristically 
modest. 

"I  believe  that  this  honor  is  intended  quite  as 
much  for  the  country  which  I  have  had  the  oppor- 
tunity of  serving,"  he  declared,  "and  I  am  glad 
that  this  is  so,  because  I  want  to  see  the  happiest 
relations  existing,  not  only  between  the  United 
States  and  Great  Britain,  but  also  between  the 
United  States  and  all  other  nations.  Although  a 
soldier  by  education  and  profession,  I  have  never  felt 
any  sort  of  fondness  for  war,  and  I  have  never 
advocated  it  except  as  a  means  of  peace.  I  hope 
that  we  shall  always  settle  our  differences  in  all 
future  negotiations  as  amicably  as  we  did  in  a 
recent  instance  [the  Alabama  claims],  I  believe 


214  ULYSSES  S.   GRANT 

that  settlement  has  had  a  happy  effect  on  both 
countries,  and  that  from  month  to  month,  and 
year  to  year,  the  tie  of  common  civilization  and 
common  blood  is  getting  stronger  between  the 
two  countries.  My  Lord  Mayor,  ladies,  and  gentle- 
men, I  again  thank  you  for  the  honor  you  have 
done  me  and  my  country  to-day." 

London's  entertainment  of  General  Grant  was 
concluded  with  a  magnificent  display  of  fireworks 
at  the  Crystal  Palace.  One  of  the  naming  pic- 
tures shown  was  a  huge  portrait  of  the  General 
himself,  and  this  was  followed  by  a  representation 
of  the  Capitol  at  Washington.  During  the  display 
American  and  English  national  airs  were  played 
by  massed  bands,  and  famous  opera  singers  led  a 
chorus  in  the  singing  of  "The  Star-Spangled 
Banner." 

The  weeks  that  followed  brought  no  abatement 
hi  the  lionizing  of  the  great  American  soldier.  One 
honor  followed  another ;  and  on  the  26th  of  June 
General  Grant's  party  proceeded  to  Windsor,  on 
the  invitation  of  Her  Majesty,  Queen  Victoria, 
took  dinner  with  the  queen,  and  remained  her 
guests  until  the  following  day. 

That  the  desire  to  pay  tribute  to  General  Grant 
was  universal  was  shown  on  his  return  to  London. 
TCe  was  there  called  upon  by  a  deputation  of 


THE  TRIP  ABROAD  215 

workingmen  from  many  different  trades,  and  was 
presented  with  a  handsomely  engrossed  address 
by  the  representative  of  the  Iron  Founders'  So- 
ciety. General  Grant  received  the  workmen  with 
marked  cordiality,  and  declared  that  no  other 
reception  had  given  him  greater  pleasure. 

"I  recognize  the  fact  that  whatever  there  is  of 
greatness  hi  the  United  States,  or  indeed  in  any 
other  country,  is  due  to  the  labor  performed," 
he  said,  in  replying  to  the  deputation.  "The 
laborer  is  the  author  of  all  greatness  and  wealth. 
Without  labor  there  would  be  no  government,  or 
no  leading  class,  or  nothing  to  preserve.  .  .  ." 

Early  in  July  General  Grant  and  his  party  left 
England  for  the  continent.  At  Ostend  they  were 
welcomed  by  a  representative  of  King  Leopold  of 
Belgium,  who  placed  a  royal  railway  carriage  at 
their  disposal.  Thus  luxuriously,  they  traveled  to 
the  old  and  interesting  city  of  Ghent,  then  to  the 
capital,  Brussels.  There,  among  other  historic 
places,  they  visited  the  ancient  and  beautiful 
Hotel  de  Ville,  or  city  hall,  and  wrote  their  names 
in  the  Livre  d'Or,  a  book  in  which  distinguished 
visitors  had  inscribed  their  names  for  many  gener- 
ations. 

From  Brussels  the  party  traveled  to  Cologne 
and  Coblentz,  on  the  Rhine ;  to  Wiesbaden  and 


2i6  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

Frankfort,  everywhere  being  greeted  by  great 
crowds  anxious  to  see  the  famous  American. 

In  August  the  General  and  his  party  recrossed 
the  English  Channel  and  made  a  tour  of  Scotland, 
where  he  was  received  with  honors  similar  to  those 
showered  upon  him  elsewhere. 

In  all  his  speeches  in  reply  to  addresses  of  wel- 
come, and  in  letters  to  friends  at  home,  General 
Grant  continued  modestly  to  describe  the  atten- 
tions paid  him  as  being  really  paid  to  the  United 
States.  In  part  this  may  have  been  so,  but  with 
the  great  mass  of  people  their  applause  was  a 
tribute  of  admiration  for  Grant  himself,  as  a  man 
who  had  risen  from  a  humble  station  in  life  to  the 
highest  place  his  country  had  to  offer.  The  English 
middle  classes  were  especially  enthusiastic.  At  a 
reception  in  Newcastle  not  less  than  80,000 
workingmen  and  miners  gathered  to  greet  the  ex- 
President,  and  to  hear  him  speak. 

This  probably  was  the  greatest  and  most 
enthusiastic  demonstration  of  General  Grant's 
tour  abroad.  Previous  to  the  speech-making, 
which  took  place  on  a  wide  plain  outside  the  city, 
a  great  procession  of  workingmen's  societies  was 
held.  Banners  with  various  devices  were  borne. 
The  Operative  Painters  carried  a  picture  repre- 
senting the  breaking  of  the  chains  of  slavery,  and 


THE  TRIP  ABROAD  217 

the  inscription,  "Welcome  to  the  Liberator." 
The  Tanners  bore  a  banner  with  the  words,  "Wel- 
come Back,  General  Grant,  from  Arms  to  Art," 
and,  "Nothing  Like  Leather"  —  in  reference  to 
the  fact  that  General  Grant  himself  had  once  been 
in  the  tanning  business. 

In  October  General  Grant  once  more  crossed 
to  the  continent,  to  begin  a  year  of  traveling  from 
country  to  country.  Everywhere  he  was  received 
with  the  same  unusual  honors,  everywhere  there 
were  crowds  to  greet  him.  Indeed,  the  only  varia- 
tion consisted  in  the  different  customs  of  different 
lands  in  honoring  a  distinguished  visitor,  and  in 
the  sightseeing  each  country  had  to  offer. 

He  visited  France,  the  southern  part  of  Italy, 
then  the  island  of  Sicily.  Here  he  spent  a  novel 
Christmas  on  board  the  American  warship 
Vandalia.  The  dinner  was  served  in  the  evening, 
in  a  dining  saloon  decorated  with  flowers,  green 
vines,  and  bunting;  and  on  returning  to  the 
deck,  General  Grant  found  the  other  neighboring 
ships  —  American,  British,  and  German  —  ablaze 
with  fireworks.  The  loud  cheering  of  the  sailors 
told  him  that  the  display  was  in  his  honor. 

Malta  was  next  visited,  then  Egypt,  where 
General  Grant  was  the  special  guest  of  the  khedive, 
and  lived  in  a  palace  in  Cairo.  In  a  special  steamer, 


218  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

also  placed  at  his  disposal,  he  made  a  thousand- 
mile  journey  up  the  Nile,  and  saw  many  of  the 
wonderful  pyramids,  temples,  and  ruined  cities 
of  the  Land  of  the  Pharaohs. 

From  Egypt  General  Grant  sailed  for  the  Holy 
Land,  and  landed  at  Jaffa.  The  General  had  not 
expected  a  reception  at  this  ancient  port,  so  often 
mentioned  in  the  Bible.  To  his  surprise,  several 
of  the  narrow,  crooked  streets  were  decorated  with 
ribbons,  wreaths,  and  flags,  and  over  one  was  an 
archway  bearing  the  words,  "Welcome,  General 
Grant." 

A  further  unexpected  greeting  came  a  few  days 
later.  On  the  way  to  Jerusalem,  by  rough,  jolting 
wagons  without  tops,  the  General's  party  found  a 
large  escort  awaiting  them  on  the  banks  of  a  brook 
at  Koleniyeh  —  the  brook  in  which  David  found 
the  stones  for  his  famous  encounter  with  Goliath. 

The  escort  included  a  picturesque  troop  of 
Turkish  cavalry;  and  for  General  Grant's  use  a 
beautiful  white  Arab  horse,  with  gold-mounted 
trappings.  In  this  stately  fashion,  riding  beside 
a  Turkish  officer  at  the  head  of  the  column,  General 
Grant  entered  Jerusalem. 

The  feature  of  the  General's  stay  in  the  Holy 
City  was  of  course  the  visiting  of  its  many  places 
of  sacred  interest.  With  priests  of  various  churches 


THE  TRIP  ABROAD  219 

as  guides,  even  those  of  the  Mohammedan  faith, 
he  viewed  the  Mount  of  Olives,  the  Garden  of 
Gethsemane,  Calvary.  Beyond  the  city  he  visited 
Nazareth,  Bethany,  and  Bethlehem. 

The  war  between  Russia  and  Turkey,  which  had 
just  ended,  affected  General  Grant's  reception  hi 
Constantinople,  where  he  arrived  early  in  March. 
This  pleased  rather  than  disappointed  the  traveler, 
however.  He  enjoyed  himself  quietly,  visiting  the 
mosques,  bazaars,  and  other  places  of  interest  in 
the  Turkish  metropolis ;  then  on  to  Athens. 

The  citizens  of  the  Greek  capital  welcomed  him 
with  enthusiasm.  In  fact,  he  was  showered  with 
more  invitations  to  receptions,  dinners,  and  other 
functions  than  he  could  have  accepted  in  many 
months.  An  unusual  honor  paid  him,  during  a 
great  fireworks  display,  was  the  illumination  of 
the  historic  Parthenon,  "the  most  perfect  of  all 
buildings." 

From  Athens  the  General  passed  on  to  Rome, 
where  his  countless  invitations  included  a  great 
military  review,  a  state  dinner  by  King  Humbert, 
and  a  pleasant,  informal  audience  with  Pope  Leo 
XIII. 

The  month  of  May  found  General  Grant  travel- 
ing through  France,  Holland,  and  Germany.  His 
reception  in  the  German  capital,  Berlin,  was  not 


220  ULYSSES  S.   GRANT 

less  cordial  than  it  had  been  elsewhere.  A  review 
of  troops  was  arranged  by  the  Crown  Prince,  now 
Emperor  William,  and  a  grand  dinner  was  given 
in  the  General's  honor  by  Prince  Bismarck.  The 
meeting  of  the  great  American  soldier  and  the 
great  German  statesman  was  one  of  the  notable 
incidents  of  General  Grant's  tour. 

The  Fourth  of  July  found  the  General  and  his 
party  in  Hamburg.  In  honor  of  the  day,  as  well 
as  of  the  distinguished  visitor,  a  military  band 
awakened  the  General  early  in  the  morning  by 
playing  American  airs  before  his  hotel.  The  ship- 
ping in  the  harbor  also  celebrated  with  a  lavish 
display  of  bunting  and  German  and  American  flags. 
In  the  evening  a  dinner  was  given  the  General  by  the 
American  residents. 

An  incident  of  the  banquet  showed  that  General 
Grant  had  lost  none  of  his  modesty  after  a  year  of 
almost  constant  lionizing.  In  the  course  of  the 
speech-making  he  was  toasted  as  "the  man  who 
had  saved  the  country." 

"What  saved  the  Union,"  said  our  ever-generous 
great  man  in  reply,  "was  the  coming  forward  of 
the  young  men  of  the  nation.  ...  To  their 
devotion  we  owe  the  salvation  of  the  Union.  The 
humblest  soldier  who  carried  a  musket  is  entitled 
to  as  much  credit  for  the  results  of  the  war  as  those 


THE  TRIP  ABROAD  221 

who  were  in  command.  So  long  as  our  young  men 
are  animated  by  this  spirit,  there  will  be  no  fear 
for  the  Union." 

Copenhagen,  the  capital  of  Denmark,  next  enter- 
tained the  ex-President,  and  on  the  i3th  of  July 
10,000  Norwegians  greeted  him  on  the  docks  at 
Christiania.  His  stay  here,  and  the  trip  through 
rural  Norway  and  Sweden,  the  General  afterward 
described  as  one  of  the  most  enjoyable  parts  of 
his  journeyings.  Every  town  and  village  through 
which  he  passed  was  decorated  with  arches  and 
flags. 

He  also  enjoyed  his  visit  to  Russia  —  to  St. 
Petersburg  (now  Petrograd),  to  Moscow,  and  to 
Warsaw,  the  capital  of  Poland.  Vienna,  the  home 
of  Mozart,  Strauss,  and  Beethoven,  was  the  next 
stop,  then  Lyons,  in  the  south  of  France,  and 
Bordeaux. 

"Sunny  Spain"  welcomed  General  Grant  in  the 
latter  part  of  October  —  with  military  reviews, 
dinners,  and  receptions,  mixed  with  sightseeing. 
The  young  king,  Alfonso  XII,  who  was  extremely 
friendly,  received  his  visitor  with  the  honors  due 
a  captain  general,  the  highest  military  rank  in  the 
Spanish  army. 

General  Grant's  stay  in  Madrid  barely  escaped 
being  made  memorable  by  a  tragic  happening.  On 


222  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

the  evening  previous  to  their  departure,  while  the 
General  and  Mrs.  Grant  were  seated  on  the  hotel 
balcony,  the  king  passed  at  the  head  of  some  of  his 
troops,  and  waved  them  a  cordial  greeting.  A 
moment  after,  a  shot  was  fired  at  the  king  by  a 
would-be  assassin.  Happily,  the  young  ruler  es- 
caped. 

From  Spain  General  Grant  passed  on  into  Por- 
tugal, and  visited  Lisbon.  The  King  of  Portugal, 
Don  Luis  I,  hearing  of  the  General's  arrival, 
came  into  the  city  specially  to  meet  him,  and  later 
received  him  in  formal  audience  at  the  royal  palace. 
After  a  long,  friendly  conversation,  his  majesty 
asked  the  General  to  accept  the  Grand  Cross  of 
the  Tower  and  Sword,  a  high  Portuguese  decora- 
tion. General  Grant  declined,  however,  as  the 
wearing  of  foreign  decorations  is  opposed  to 
American  practice. 

Cordova,  Spain,  was  next  visited ;  then  Seville, 
and  Cadiz ;  and  once  more  Paris  and  London.  On 
the  3d  of  January,  1879,  the  General  fulfilled  a 
promise  made  on  his  arrival  in  Europe,  and  visited 
Dublin,  Ireland.  His  arrival  was  the  occasion  of 
a  most  enthusiastic  demonstration.  The  freedom 
of  the  city  was  presented  to  him,  in  a  carved  bog- 
oak  casket,  and  an  elaborate  banquet  followed. 

Other  cities  in  Ireland  also  extended  a  hearty 


THE  TRIP  ABROAD  223 

welcome.  At  Londonderry  he  found  a  "sea  of 
faces"  awaiting  him.  At  Belfast  the  mills  were 
closed  down,  so  that  the  workmen  might  greet  the 
noted  visitor,  and  all  the  public  buildings  were 
decorated  with  the  British  and  American  flags. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

TURNING  TOWARD  HOME 

THE  trip  to  Ireland  concluded  General  Grant's 
European  tour.  He  returned  to  France,  and  on 
January  24,  1879,  sailed  from  Marseilles  for 
Alexandria,  Egypt;  proceeded  by  train  to  Suez, 
on  the  Red  Sea,  and  there  boarded  the  steamship 
Venetia  for  Bombay. 

As  the  date  of  sailing  was  earlier  than  that  first 
planned,  General  Grant  had  looked  forward  to 
arriving  in  Bombay  unannounced,  like  any  ordi- 
nary traveler,  and  to  seeing  India  in  the  quiet 
way  he  preferred.  He  was  to  be  disappointed. 
The  Venetia  entered  Bombay  harbor  to  find 
the  shipping  alive  with  flags  and  the  wharves 
crowded  with  soldiers,  natives,  and  Europeans. 

Before  the  vessel  reached  the  dock,  a  boat  came 
alongside  with  an  officer  bearing  a  welcome  from 
the  governor  of  the  Presidency  of  Bombay,  and 
offering  the  General  the  use  of  the  Government 
House,  or  official  residence,  during  his  stay  in  the 
city.  On  the  landing,  a  military  guard  of  honor 
224 


TURNING  TOWARD  HOME  225 

presented  arms,  while  a  band  played  the  American 
national  air,  and  high  English  and  native  officials 
welcomed  General  Grant  formally  to  the  shores 
of  India.  A  troop  of  native  cavalry  then  escorted 
the  party  to  the  Government  House,  through 
streets  crowded  with  thousands  of  dark-skinned 
natives  of  every  type  and  rank. 

The  welcome  to  Bombay  was  but  the  beginning 
of  attentions  paid  General  Grant  by  both  English 
and  native  officials  during  his  entire  stay  in  India. 
At  Agra,  famous  for  its  wonderful  building,  the 
beautiful  Taj  Mahal,  which  he  next  visited,  he 
was  met  by  elephants  sent  by  the  Maharajah  of 
Jeypore  to  convey  him  over  the  next  stage  of  his 
journey.  At  Bhurtpoor  the  party  were  provided 
with  carriages  drawn  by  camels  for  their  sight- 
seeing. 

Lucknow,  made  famous  by  the  defense  of  its 
garrison  during  the  Indian  mutiny  of  1857,  was  next 
visited.  Here  the  General  found  an  American 
mission  school  for  girls.  The  school,  which  was 
held  in  the  open,  under  a  great  tree,  greeted 
their  distinguished  visitor  with  the  singing  in  Eng- 
lish of  "John  Brown." 

Calcutta,  the  capital  of  India,  was  reached  on 
the  loth  of  March.  The  General  was  warmly 
welcomed  by  Lord  Lytton,  the  viceroy,  who  ten- 
Q 


226  ULYSSES  S.   GRANT 

dered  him  a  banquet  which  probably  was  the  most 
picturesque  event  of  his  travels.  In  addition  to 
many  British  officials  in  uniform,  it  was  attended 
by  a  great  array  of  Indian  princes  and  potentates, 
attired  in  the  richest  and  most  brilliant  costumes  of 
the  East. 

Other  places  visited  were  Delhi ;  Benares,  where 
many  thousands  of  Indian  pilgrims  were  bathing 
in  the  sacred  waters  of  the  river  Ganges ;  and  Al- 
lahabad, the  Hindoo  "City  of  God,"  a  Mecca  for 
countless  pilgrims. 

General  Grant  greatly  enjoyed  his  tour  through 
India,  and  it  was  with  regret  at  not  being  able  to 
prolong  his  visit  that  he  set  sail  for  Burmah,  across 
the  Bay  of  Bengal.  After  a  brief  stay  at  Rangoon, 
he  proceeded  to  Singapore,  in  the  Straits  Settle- 
ments, and  then  turned  aside  to  accept  for  a  few 
days  an  invitation  from  King  Chulahlongkorn  of 
Siam. 

The  visit  to  China,  which  followed,  was  one  of 
the  interesting  periods  of  General  Grant's  tour. 
His  coming  had  been  duly  heralded. 

"White  barbarians"  of  rank  were  a  novelty  in 
China  in  1879,  and  in  order  that  the  great  Ameri- 
can might  be  paid  suitable  honors,  proclamations 
were  issued  to  the  people. 

One  read  in  part  as  follows :  — 


TURNING  TOWARD  HOME  227 

"  We  have  just  heard  that  the  King  of  America,  being 
on  friendly  terms  with  China,  will  leave  America  early 
in  the  third  month,  bringing  with  him  a  suite  of  officers, 
etc.,  all  complete,  on  board  the  ship.  It  is  said  that 
he  is  bringing  a  large  number  of  rare  presents  with 
him,  and  that  he  will  be  here  in  Canton  about  the  6th 
or  gth  of  May" 

Owing  to  adverse  tides,  it  was  evening  when  the 
United  States  gunboat  Ashuelot,  by  which  General 
Grant  continued  his  journey  from  Hong  Kong, 
arrived  at  Canton.  A  great  crowd  that  had  been 
waiting  all  the  afternoon  had  disappeared,  but  the 
steamship-landing  was  decorated  with  lanterns,  and 
Chinese  gunboats  and  junks  hi  the  river  burned 
blue  lights,  fired  rockets,  and  displayed  American 
flags,  by  way  of  welcome. 

The  following  day  General  Grant  was  to  pay  a 
formal  visit  to  the  viceroy  of  the  province.  Great 
crowds  gathered  hi  the  gardens  of  the  American 
Consulate,  waiting  for  the  procession  that  was  to 
escort  the  "King  of  America."  The  officers  of 
the  American  warship  were  present,  in  full  uniform, 
and  the  Chinese  turned  from  one  to  another  in 
perplexity,  unable  to  decide  which  of  them  was 
the  visiting  monarch.  It  did  not  enter  their 
minds  that  the  quietly-dressed  man  sitting  on  the 
piazza  could  be  the  "king"  in  question. 


228  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

At  last  a  Tartar  officer  arrived  with  a  detach- 
ment of  soldiers,  followed  by  coolies  bearing  sedan 
chairs.  General  Grant,  attired  in  evening  dress, 
entered  the  largest  of  the  chairs,  and  the  mystery 
was  solved.  Greatly,  of  course,  to  the  disappoint- 
ment of  the  crowd.  "This  is  a  'barbarian'  king, 
truly,"  they  doubtless  thought,  "without  even  a 
feather  in  his  hat!" 

The  procession  would  have  seemed  a  strange 
one  to  our  eyes.  First  rode  the  Tartar  officer, 
in  his  brilliant  silk  uniform,  on  a  small  gray  pony. 
Then  came  a  detachment  of  soldiers,  armed  with 
spears  and  ancient  muskets,  who  forced  the  crowd 
back  and  kept  up  a  constant  shouting,  warning 
the  people  to  behave  themselves  and  show  respect 
to  the  "foreign  barbarian."  Next  came  the 
General,  in  his  chair. 

As  befitting  his  rank,  General  Grant's  chair  was 
an  elaborate  conveyance,  with  a  silver  globe  crown- 
ing its  narrow  roof.  Its  color  was  green,  green 
being  the  color  next  in  rank  to  yellow,  which  was 
sacred  to  the  use  of  the  emperor.  The  chair  was 
swung  on  a  long  bamboo  pole,  and  borne  by  eight 
men.  After  the  General  came  more  soldiers,  then 
the  members  of  the  General's  party,  in  chairs. 

The  distance  to  the  palace  was  three  miles.  The 
streets  for  the  entire  distance  were  packed  with 


TURNING  TOWARD  HOME  229 

people.  There  was  no  cheering  or  other  applause, 
however.  The  crowd  stood  and  stared  in  silence. 
This  was  one  of  the  new  experiences  that  China 
provided.  Chinese  crowds  make  no  demonstra- 
tion; they  simply  stand  and  gaze  with  quietly 
curious  faces.  Even  the  strange  fact  that  the 
"King  of  America"  was  not  attired  in  all  the  colors 
of  the  rainbow  brought  no  outward  expression  of 
what  must  have  been  an  acute  disappointment. 

Probably  the  viceroy  was  similarly  disappointed. 
If  so,  he  concealed  the  fact,  and  met  General  Grant 
with  perfect  courtesy,  as  did  also  a  great  company 
of  officials  and  high  army  officers  in  brilliant  silken 
costumes. 

The  banquet  which  the  viceroy  tendered  General 
Grant  was  a  memorable  function.  Seventy  courses 
were  served,  and  included  many  strange  dishes. 
Cake  and  fruit-rolls  made  the  first  course;  then 
followed  in  order,  apricot  kernels  and  melon  seeds ; 
ham  with  bamboo  sprouts ;  smoked  duck  and 
cucumbers ;  pickled  chicken  and  beans ;  red  shrimps 
with  leeks ;  spiced  sausage  with  celery ;  fish  with 
fir-tree  cones  and  sweet  pickles;  peaches  pre- 
served in  honey ;  fresh  fruits;  f  ruits  dried  in  honey ; 
chestnuts;  crab  apples  with  honey  gold-cake; 
water  chestnuts;  fresh  thorn  apples;  bird's-nest 
soup ;  roast  duck ;  mushrooms  and  pigeons'  eggs ; 


230  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

sharks'  fins  and  sea  crabs,  as  well  as  many  other 
startling  and  unusual  viands. 

Having  survived  the  viceroy's  hospitality,  Gen- 
eral Grant  resumed  his  journey  and  sailed  for 
Shanghai.  Here  he  was  received  with  a  thunder- 
ing naval  welcome  by  the  American  man-of-war 
Monocacy,  and  Chinese,  French,  German,  and 
English  warships.  The  chief  event  of  the  General's 
stay  at  Shanghai  was  a  wonderful  illumination  of 
the  city,  the  harbor  front,  and  the  shipping  in  the 
harbor.  "Wherever  you  looked,"  wrote  a  member 
of  the  party,  "was  a  blaze  of  light  and  fire;  of 
rockets  careering  in  the  air,  of  Roman  lights,  and 
every  variety  of  fire.  The  ships  in  the  harbor  were 
a  blaze  of  color,  and  looked  as  if  they  were  pieces 
of  fireworks." 

The  various  consulates,  club  houses,  hotels,  and 
public  buildings  were  outlined  in  lanterns,  and  bore 
in  flaming  letters  such  words  as : 

"WELCOME  TO  GRANT." 

"  THE  FAME  OF  GRANT 

ENCIRCLES  THE  WORLD." 

"WASHINGTON,  LINCOLN,  GRANT  — 

THREE  IMMORTAL  AMERICANS." 

During  the  evening  a  firemen's  procession  was 
held,  each  engine  preceded  by  a  band  playing 


TURNING  TOWARD  HOME  231 

American  airs.  The  favorites  were  "John  Brown" 
and  "Marching  through  Georgia." 

At  Tien  Tsui,  General  Grant's  next  stop,  he  met 
the  famous  viceroy,  Li  Hung  Chang.  The  Chinese 
statesman  showed  himself  well  acquainted  with 
General  Grant's  military  career,  and  the  two 
great  men  of  the  two  widely  different  countries 
formed  a  lasting  friendship.  Among  the  honors 
paid  the  General  by  Li  Hung  Chang  was  the  use 
of  a  sedan  chair  lined  with  yellow  silk.  Such  a 
chair  had  never  before  been  used  by  any  one  in 
China  save  the  emperor. 

General  Grant's  visit  to  the  Chinese  capital, 
Peking,  which  followed,  was  without  special 
incident,  due  partly  to  the  fact  that  the  emperor, 
then  a  mere  child  of  seven  years,  was  too 
young  to  receive  distinguished  visitors.  Instead, 
the  General  paid  a  formal  visit  to  Prince  Kung, 
the  Emperor's  uncle,  and  devoted  his  time 
chiefly  to  sightseeing  in  this,  the  greatest  of 
Chinese  cities.  He  was  much  interested  in  the 
great  wall  surrounding  the  city  —  eighteen  miles 
in  circumference,  and  wide  enough  to  permit 
twelve  horsemen,  riding  abreast,  to  traverse  its 
top. 

The  stay  in  Peking  was  short,  and  returning  to 
Tien  Tsin,  the  General  and  his  party  boarded  the 


232  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

United  States  warship  Richmond,  and  sailed  for 
Japan. 

The  Flowery  Kingdom's  reception  of  General 
Grant  was  as  hearty  as  that  of  China.  When  the 
Richmond  arrived  in  Nagasaki  Harbor,  on  the  2ist 
of  June,  the  entire  city  was  a  flutter  of  flags,  and 
the  waterfront  was  crowded  with  a  picturesque 
throng  to  greet  the  "American  Mikado."  The 
Richmond  ran  up  the  Japanese  standard,  and  fired 
twenty-one  guns,  whereupon  the  Japanese  forts  and 
warships  replied  gun  for  gun  with  crashing  salutes. 
A  state  barge  appeared,  and  Prince  Dati,  a  noble- 
man of  the  highest  rank,  boarded  the  Richmond, 
and  formally  welcomed  General  Grant  in  the  name 
of  the  Emperor  of  Japan. 

The  American  party  went  ashore  in  the  barge. 
At  the  landing  they  ascended  steps  covered  with 
red  cloth,  between  ranks  of  soldiers  and  banks  of 
people  crowding  every  inch  of  space  on  either  hand. 

Jinrikishaws  —  light,  two-wheeled  carriages 
pulled  by  "rickshaw"  men  —  had  been  provided 
to  convey  the  party  to  their  stopping-place. 
This  was  a  normal  school  which  had  been  evac- 
uated and  prepared  specially  for  the  General's 
coming.  The  school  was  situated  a  half  mile  from 
the  landing ;  and  the  entire  route  was  decorated 
with  American  and  Japanese  flags  entwined,  and 


TURNING  TOWARD  HOME  233 

with  arches  of  green  boughs  and  flowers.  The 
crowds,  in  their  picturesque,  many-colored  cos- 
tumes, bowed  low  as  the  General  passed. 

The  several  days  spent  in  Nagasaki  brought 
an  almost  constant  round  of  entertainment,  with 
fireworks  and  wonderful  lantern  illuminations  of 
the  entire  city  at  night.  One  of  the  most  elaborate 
events  was  a  dinner  tendered  by  the  citizens  of 
Nagasaki,  and  given  in  an  old  temple.  It  was 
novel  in  many  respects.  Each  guest  had  a  diminu- 
tive table  to  himself,  and  the  leading  merchants  of 
the  city  acted  as  waiters,  each  assisted  by  a  small 
army  of  attendants  dressed  in  the  costumes  of  old 
Japan.  The  bill  of  fare,  while  not  as  lengthy  as 
that  of  the  memorable  dinner  at  Canton,  included 
many  strange  dishes,  and  from  time  to  tune  the 
banquet  was  interrupted  by  a  programme  of  music 
and  dancing.  One  dance  which  amused  the 
General  was  a  pantomime  representing  a  dragon 
at  play,  performed  by  eight  tiny  children,  just  old 
enough  to  toddle. 

From  Nagasaki  General  Grant  passed  on,  aboard 
the  Richmond,  for  Yokohama,  there  to  receive 
another  enthusiastic  welcome  of  fluttering  flags, 
music,  booming  guns,  and  immense,  picturesque 
Japanese  crowds. 

In  part  the  welcome  at  Yokohama  was  also  the 


234  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

greeting  of  Tokio,  which  is  but  twenty  miles 
distant;  and  when  the  preliminary  ceremonies  at 
Yokohama  had  concluded,  the  General  boarded 
a  special  train  and  proceeded  to  the  capital.  There, 
in  the  emperor's  private  carriage,  he  was  driven 
through  streets  decorated  with  flowers  and  ever- 
greens, and  lined  with  troops,  to  the  emperor's 
beautiful  summer  palace,  which  had  been  prepared 
for  him. 

The  stay  in  Tokio  was  an  almost  uninterrupted 
succession  of  fetes,  banquets,  and  other  forms  of 
entertainment.  The  most  notable  incident  was 
one  which  we  would  have  considered  extremely 
commonplace. 

The  emperor,  on  meeting  General  Grant,  shook 
him  by  the  hand.  Simple  enough !  But  in  doing 
this  the  Mikado  broke  a  custom  of  Japanese 
royalty  dating  back  more  than  a  thousand  years! 
For  the  Japanese  imperial  family  is  the  most 
ancient  in  the  world,  coming  down  in  unbroken 
succession  from  the  year  660  B.C. 

The  day  following  General  Grant's  arrival  in 
Tokio  was  the  Glorious  Fourth  —  his  second 
spent  in  a  foreign  land ;  and  in  honor  of  the  occa- 
sion the  General  was  overwhelmed  with  visitors. 
Princes  of  the  imperial  family,  princesses,  members 
of  the  cabinet,  naval  and  military  officers,  minis- 


TURNING  TOWARD  HOME  235 

ters,  consuls,  and  citizens  called  at  the  summer 
palace  in  an  endless  stream  of  carriages  and  'rick- 
shaws. In  the  evening  there  was  a  Fourth  of  July 
party  at  one  of  the  summer  gardens,  at  which  the 
General  met  the  American  residents  of  Tokio. 

While  social  attentions  kept  the  General  busy,  he 
yet  found  time  for  sightseeing,  and  made  a  number 
of  excursions  into  the  country  surrounding  the  cap- 
ital. Everywhere  he  was  received  with  the  greatest 
courtesy,  and  greatly  enjoyed  the  picturesque  scen- 
ery and  life  of  this  most  picturesque  of  countries. 

Indeed,  so  thoroughly  did  General  Grant  enjoy 
Japan  that  he  prolonged  his  stay,  and  at  last, 
with  genuine  regret,  made  preparations  to  leave. 

The  departure  was  attended  with  as  much  cere- 
mony as  the  General's  arrival.  Troops  lined  the 
entire  route  from  the  summer  palace  to  the  rail- 
way station,  and  the  streets  were  thronged  with 
people  in  holiday  dress.  A  train  decorated  with 
American  and  Japanese  flags  entwined  bore  the 
party  to  Yokohama,  where  were  more  soldiers  and 
surging  crowds.  The  shipping  in  the  harbor  was 
again  bright  with  bunting,  and  when  General 
Grant  and  his  party,  aboard  the  City  of  Tokio, 
passed  from  the  bay  and  headed  east  for  the  long 
voyage  to  San  Francisco,  a  roar  of  guns  from  war- 
ships and  land  batteries  boomed  a  last  farewell. 


236  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

The  voyage  across  the  Pacific  was  without  inci- 
dent, and  on  the  2oth  of  September,  1879,  the 
City  of  Tokio  arrived  off  the  Golden  Gate. 

General  Grant's  welcome  home  to  the  shores  of 
America  was  a  fitting  climax  to  the  reception 
accorded  him  around  the  world.  A  fleet  of 
steamers  and  yachts  met  the  City  of  Tokio 
down  the  bay,  while  guns  boomed  until  the  harbor 
was  cloudy  with  smoke,  bells  rang,  and  factory 
whistles  tooted  and  screamed.  Every  vantage 
point  overlooking  the  channel  was  black  with 
cheering  crowds. 

It  was  dusk  when  the  General  landed.  A  great 
procession  was  awaiting  him,  and  escorted  him, 
through  streets  draped  with  bunting  and  bright 
with  thousands  of  lights  and  bonfires,  to  the 
Palace  Hotel,  where  a  chorus  of  five  hundred  voices 
sang  an  ode  of  greeting. 

The  whole-hearted  welcome  thus  begun  by  San 
Francisco  followed  General  Grant  as  he  traveled 
eastward.  At  every  station  crowds  of  people 
were  gathered  to  see  and  cheer  him.  At  Chicago, 
where  he  arrived  during  the  annual  meeting  of 
the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  he  was  given  an 
especially  warm  welcome. 

He  reached  Philadelphia  on  December  12  — 
and  the  great,  world-encircling  tour  was  ended. 


TURNING  TOWARD  HOME  237 

Without  doubt  General  Grant's  journey  round 
the  globe,  because  of  the  universal  honors  paid 
him,  was  the  most  remarkable  of  its  kind  in  the 
world's  history.  It  was,  in  fact,  a  triumphal 
tour  of  two  and  a  half  years'  duration.  In  the 
course  of  his  journeyings  General  Grant  probably 
saw,  and  had  been  seen  by,  more  people  than  any 
other  human  being  since  the  world  began. 


CHAPTER  XXV 
"LET  Us  HAVE  PEACE" 

THE  honors  paid  General  Grant  during  his  two- 
years'  tour  had  made  a  great  impression  in  the 
United  States.  The  General's  political  friends 
determined  to  take  advantage  of  this,  and  early 
in  1880  they  began  a  movement  to  make  him  a 
presidential  candidate  for  a  third  term.  At  first 
Grant  was  strongly  opposed  to  the  idea,  but  finally 
was  won  over,  and  consented. 

"I  owe  so  much  to  the  Union  men  of  the  coun- 
try," he  said,  "that  if  they  think  my  chances  are 
better  for  election  than  those  of  other  probable 
candidates,  I  cannot  decline,  if  the  nomination  is 
tendered  without  seeking  on  my  part." 

Grant's  name  was  presented  at  the  Republican 
convention  by  Roscoe  Conkling.  It  was  received 
with  unexpected  opposition.  Although  a  majority 
of  the  delegates  were  Grant's  warm  friends,  many 
were  opposed  to  any  president  serving  for  a  third 
term.  The  contest  was  long  drawn  out,  and  finally 
the  nomination  went  to  James  A.  Garfield.  Grant 
was  much  hurt  and  disappointed.  However,  he 
238 


"LET  US  HAVE  PEACE"  239 

at  once  promised  Garfield  his  support,  and  the 
latter  was  elected. 

When  General  Grant  completed  his  last  year  as 
President,  he  had  no  permanent  home.  He  owned 
the  house  given  him  by  the  citizens  of  Galena, 
and  a  beautiful  residence  in  Philadelphia,  the  gift 
of  the  Union  League  Club  of  that  city,  but  he 
had  not  lived  in  either  for  any  length  of  tune.  In 
1 88 1  he  decided  to  settle  in  New  York,  and  in 
August  of  that  year  bought  a  house  near  Central 
Park.  It  was  about  this  time  that  several  of 
his  friends  in  New  York  raised  a  trust  fund  of 
$250,0x30  for  Mrs.  Grant. 

General  Grant's  love  for  his  mother  was  still 
one  of  the  strongest  traits  of  his  character.  When 
she  died  in  1883,  at  Jersey  City  Heights,  the 
General,  at  the  funeral,  said  to  the  officiating 
pastor,  "In  the  remarks  which  you  make,  speak 
of  her  only  as  a  simple-hearted,  earnest  Christian. 
Make  no  reference  to  me ;  she  gained  nothing  by 
any  position  I  have  filled,  or  any  honors  that  have 
been  paid  me.  I  owe  all  this,  and  all  I  am,  to  her 
earnest,  modest,  and  sincere  piety." 

General  Grant  came  to  New  York  with  the 
intention  of  engaging  in  some  business.  His  first 
venture  was  unfortunate.  He  became  the  partner 
of  a  young  Wall  Street  banker,  investing  his  entire 


240  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

fortune,  and  in  May,  1884,  while  laid  up  from  a 
heavy  fall,  he  learned  that  the  firm  was  bankrupt, 
through  frauds  committed  by  his  partner. 

This  blow  was  the  greatest  General  Grant  had 
ever  suffered.  That  the  name  of  Grant  should  be 
connected  with  frauds  was  almost  unbearable  to 
him.  In  addition,  his  entire  fortune  was  gone, 
even  the  gift  of  $250,000  to  Mrs.  Grant. 

But  in  his  adversity,  and  now  broken  in  health, 
Grant  was  no  less  courageous  than  on  the  battle- 
field. At  once  he  began  the  financial  battle  of 
life  all  over  again. 

The  Century  Company  had  once  asked  the 
General  for  a  magazine  article  on  the  battle  of 
Shiloh.  The  request  was  now  repeated,  and  an 
offer  of  five  hundred  dollars  made  for  the  story. 
General  Grant  was  surprised  and  delighted  at  the 
amount,  and  accepted  the  offer  gladly,  as  a  God- 
send in  his  trying  circumstances.  His  article  was 
printed  in  the  Century  Magazine  for  February,  1885. 

The  General  had  never  before  written  for 
publication.  His  honesty  and  directness  of  mind 
and  unusual  memory,  however,  enabled  him  to 
write  so  satisfactory  an  article  that  the  price  of- 
fered was  doubled,  and  he  was  asked  to  continue, 
and  tell  of  the  capture  of  Vicksburg.  This  ap- 
peared in  September,  1885. 


"LET  US  HAVE  PEACE"  241 

The  publishers  then  asked  for  a  complete  story 
of  General  Grant's  life,  to  be  issued  in  book  form. 
If  the  General  was  surprised  at  the  returns  from 
his  magazine  articles,  he  was  unbelievably  aston- 
ished at  the  offers  made  for  his  "  Memoirs."  Mark 
Twain,  the  humorist,  a  warm  personal  friend,  and 
a  member  of  the  publishing  firm  of  Charles  L. 
Webster  &  Co.,  offered  the  General  a  royalty 
check  of  $2 5, ocx>  in  advance  for  the  publishing 
rights.  The  arrangement  finally  made  was  that  the 
General  should  receive  twenty  per  cent  of  the  selling 
price  of  the  book. 

And  here  it  may  be  said  that  in  February  of  the 
following  year  Mrs.  Grant  received  from  Webster 
&  Co.  a  check  for  $200,000.  which  was  the  largest 
single  royalty  check  ever  drawn  by  a  publisher. 
Thus  General  Grant's  desire  to  provide  for  the 
remaining  years  of  his  wife,  his  chief  purpose  in 
writing  the  "Memoirs,"  was  fully  realized. 

It  was  in  the  fall  of  1884,  while  working  on  the 
story  of  his  life,  that  General  Grant  first  complained 
of  a  pain  in  his  throat  and  a  difficulty  in  swallowing. 
The  trouble  increased  and  greatly  interfered  with 
his  work.  After  a  time  he  found  it  impossible  to 
take  solid  food,  and  began  to  lose  strength,  until 
at  last  he  was  confined  to  the  house. 

In  March  of  the  year  following,  1885,  General 


242  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

Grant's  financial  anxieties  were  satisfactorily  ad- 
justed by  the  passage  of  a  bill  through  Congress 
restoring  him  to  his  former  rank  of  general,  with 
full  pay.  But  it  was  too  late  to  be  of  material 
service  to  the  stricken  hero.  On  the  icth  of  March 
an  examination  revealed  the  fact  that  he  was  suffer- 
ing from  a  malady  of  the  gravest  character. 

When  the  news  was  published  it  brought  words  of 
sorrow  and  sympathy  from  every  corner  of  the 
globe.  Prayers  for  the  General's  recovery  were 
'  offered  throughout  the  land.  His  strength  con- 
tinued to  diminish,  and  on  the  5th  of  April  it  ap- 
peared as  if  the  end  were  close  at  hand. 

But  the  patient  made  a  wonderful  rally.  "I 
want  to  finish  my  book,"  he  said;  and  the  deter- 
mination seemed  to  renew  his  strength. 

Warm  weather  came,  and  his  friend  James  W. 
Drexel  placed  at  the  General's  service  a  cottage 
on  Mount  McGregor,  near  Saratoga  Springs.  He 
was  moved  thither  on  the  i6th  of  June.  But 
even  in  the  clearer  air  of  a  higher  altitude  he  had 
little  rest.  Two  days  after  his  arrival  at  the  cot- 
,  tage  he  wrote  this  pathetic  note  :  — 

"  It  is  just  a  week  since  I  have  spoken.  My  pain 
is  continuous." 

I        Meantime,  notwithstanding  his  pain  and  weak- 
ness, he  was  working  steadily  on  his  "Memoirs." 


"LET  US  HAVE   PEACE"  243 

At  last  the  task  was  completed.  It  appeared  as 
if  the  purpose  to  finish  what  he  had  undertaken 
alone  had  kept  him  alive.  He  rapidly  grew 
weaker,  and  early  on  the  morning  of  July  23, 
1885,  surrounded  by  his  family,  the  great  com- 
mander quietly  breathed  his  last. 

So,  working  for  others  almost  to  the  end,  the  man 
who  had  done  the  most  to  bring  the  nation  through 
the  great  Civil  War  to  peace  and  a  renewal  of 
friendship,  passed  to  his  own  peace. 

The  news  of  General  Grant's  death,  although 
expected,  caused  the  most  profound  sorrow 
throughout  the  nation.  Everywhere  bells  were 
tolled,  flags  were  lowered  to  half-mast,  and  public 
buildings  were  draped  in  mourning. 

The  funeral  was  held  in  New  York  City.  It 
was  such  as  had  not  been  witnessed  since  that  of 
Napoleon,  or  the  Duke  of  Wellington.  The 
magnificent  funeral  car,  drawn  by  twenty-four 
black  horses,  left  the  City  Hall  shortly  before  ten 
o'clock  in  the  forenoon.  Following  the  car,  to 
the  slow  beat  of  muffled  drums  and  the  distant 
boom  of  minute  guns,  marched  an  army  greater 
than  many  Grant  had  commanded  —  an  army  of 
veterans  who  had  fought  under  him,  of  National 
Guards  and  regulars,  infantry,  cavalry,  artillery, 
sailors;  a  vast,  sorrowing  army  passing  slowly 


244  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

through  the  crowded,  silent  streets  until  far  into 
the  afternoon. 

Finally,  with  simple  ceremonies,  concluding  with 
the  soldier's  last  farewell,  the  blowing  of  "Taps," 
the  famous  general  was  laid  to  rest. 

On  the  same  day,  in  nearly  every  other  city  in 
the  country,  memorial  services  were  being  held, 
bells  were  tolling,  and  cannon  were  firing  at  minute 
intervals.  In  some  cities  processions  took  place 
in  which  thousands  of  soldiers  participated.  Me- 
morial services  were  also  held  in  London  and 
Paris,  and  countless  flags  were  lowered  to  half- 
mast. 

In  a  magnificent  tomb,  commandingly  located 
on  the  noble  Hudson,  our  nation's  greatest  gen- 
eral rests.  His  last  honors  may  seem  to  be  a 
glorification  of  arms  and  of  war,  yet  there  can  be 
no  doubt  but  that  the  words  over  his  imposing 
tomb  are  those  that  Grant  himself  would  have 
chosen : 

LET   US   HAVE   PEACE. 


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